Lenovo reveals world's first Tango AR smartphone

PHAB2 Pro can use sensors and Google's software to 3D map its surroundings

Lenovo has unveiled the PHAB2 Pro, the first Project Tango-equipped smartphone, bringing sensor-laden 3D mapping technology to the mobile market.

Project Tango has been in the prototype phase since February 2014 and allows smartphones to map their surroundings in real time and create 3D maps from the data.

However, it seems that, despite the unveiling of a prototype Project Tango smartphone equipped with Intel's RealSense camera development kit, Project Tango is not going to see the light of day any time soon.

But Lenovo has nevertheless brought the technology to the smartphone market for the first time.

The Lenovo PHAB2 ProMaking uses Google's software and sensors to enable motion tracking, depth perception and area learning.

The sensors can capture more than 250,000 measurements a second, allowing the handset to visualise and understand surrounding objects and environments and create augmented reality (AR) experiences.

For example, it could be used to remodel a home by moving the handset around a room and placing virtual Minecraft-style blocks to create walls and eventually structures.

The smartphone also offers Google's 3D indoor mapping capabilities that provide functionality such as AR museum tours.

Jeff Meredith, vice president and general manager of Android and Chrome computing at Lenovo, explained that the company wants to take Project Tango from a concept to a reality.

"From the moment we saw Tango, we knew it could become pervasive, just like GPS. However, to truly make the PHAB2 Pro a game changer, we developed it at an affordable price for mainstream consumers, delivering not just a bleeding-edge phone, but an all-round fantastic phone that's first to market," he said.

Lenovo has yet to confirm the PHAB2 Pro's full specifications, but it will have a 6.4in QHD display, a 16MP camera and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor.

The firm also revealed two more affordable models: the PHAB2 Plus and PHAB 2. The PHAB 2 Pro will be available from September for $499, while the PHAB2 Plus and PHAB 2 will cost $299 and £199 respectively.