Lenovo showcased the PHAB 2 Pro — the first consumer-ready Tango phone — at its Tech World earlier this year, and we haven't heard much regarding the phone since. The handset was initially slated to make its debut at the end of summer, which got pushed to fall. It now looks like the phone will debut in November, according to a statement from Google's AR head Clay Bavor to CNET.
The PHAB 2 Pro comes with a massive 6.4-inch QHD LCD display, a Snapdragon 652, 4GB of RAM, microSD slot, and three cameras at the back for Tango's motion tracking, area learning, and depth perception tech: a standard 16MP sensor joined by an depth-sensing IR camera and a motion tracking camera. At the front, there's an 8MP shooter, and the phone also sports a fingerprint sensor at the back, Dolby Atmos speakers at the bottom, and a 4050mAh battery.
The PHAB 2 Pro takes advantage of the specialized cameras to take detailed 3D maps of your surroundings, creating immersive augmented reality experiences. Google announced that it would have 25 Tango-specific apps available at launch, with that number extending to 100 by the end of the year.
Unlike the Pixel and Pixel XL, the PHAB 2 Pro isn't compatible with the Daydream VR platform as it doesn't feature an AMOLED panel. Bavor talked about a possibility of a phone that supports both Tango and Daydream, but for now, we'll have to choose between the two: "You can imagine in the future you won't have to make a choice, but that's a bit further out."
The PHAB 2 Pro will retail for $499, and will be available at Best Buy and Lowe's stores around the country.
