ASUS will launch its augmented reality-focused device, the ASUS Zenfone AR, in India on July 13. This information came from a report released by the Indian publication Financial Express. However, there is no additional information provided about the device’s launch in the country. That means interested consumers will have to wait until the launch date before information about the device’s price and retail availability become available. Nonetheless, the device’s launch price in Taiwan, which is $825, should give interested buyers on the possible pricing of the device.
The ASUS Zenfone AR supports Google’s augmented reality and virtual reality efforts, Tango and Google Daydream. The former initiative hopes to deliver a convincing AR experience through the users’ smartphones. In order for a smartphone to provide the desired experience, it should be equipped with numerous sensors and cameras to check environmental cues and motion. In the case of the ASUS Zenfone AR, the handset has three cameras, two of which gather environmental signals like depth and motion. Meanwhile, Google Daydream strives to provide a VR ecosystem that will work across a wide range of Android devices. The platform already has 150 applications as of last May and more applications will likely be made available on Google Daydream as more devices supporting it get sold.
The ASUS Zenfone AR was unveiled at the CES 2017, with its manufacturer highlighting key specifications and features of the device. To provide the necessary computing power to deliver a decent AR and VR experience, the Taiwanese tech company decided to equip the handset with a Snapdragon 821 chipset from Qualcomm. A 5.7-inch QuadHD display provides the handset with the necessary resolution to make virtual reality work. Aside from the two cameras already mentioned, there is another 23-megapixel camera at the back of the device for taking images. The rear camera is equipped with optical and electronic image stabilization, and 3x zoom. For those who love taking selfies, the device includes an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter, which is accompanied by a dual-LED flash. The device will be available with either 6GB of 8GB of RAM and a wide range of internal flash storage capacities ranging from 32GB to 256GB. The owners also have the choice to add a microSD card to expand the internal storage.