ASUS' ZenFone AR is ready for Google Tango and Daydream

The second Tango-ready smartphone has arrived -- kind of. It looks like ASUS is preparing to reveal the ZenFone AR during its press conference at CES on Wednesday, January 4th, but chip-maker Qualcomm published a blog post about the phone a few days early. According to Qualcomm, the ZenFone AR takes advantage of the Snapdragon 821 processor, which also powers Google's Pixel and ASUS' ZenFone 3.

The ZenFone AR is the first mobile device to ship with both Tango and Daydream capabilities, taking advantage of Google's augmented- and virtual realty programs. The first commercially available Tango-ready phone was the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, which runs on the Snapdragon 652 processor. We found the phone itself to be underwhelming, but Google's Tango tech was cool -- when it worked.

The ZenFone AR will support Daydream VR versions of Google Street View, YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, HBO and games like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Need for Speed and Gunjack 2. Rumors about the new phone have been dribbling out across the internet for months now, including a reported image posted by @evleaks today.

"The ZenFone AR with Snapdragon 821 is built for VR with high-resolution display, ultra-smooth graphics and high-fidelity sensors for precise head tracking," Qualcomm's blog post reads. "Snapdragon 821 provides the cutting-edge visual, audio and interactive technologies required to deliver truly immersive mobile VR experience for leading Android smartphones."

We've reached out the ASUS for more details on the ZenFone AR and will update this post if and when we hear back.

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