Unleashed at CES 2017, the ASUS ZenFone AR—the world’s first Google Tango AR and Daydream VR-enabled smartphone, debuts in Malaysia. It’s also the first phone in the world to pack 8GB of RAM. I know, that’s more memory than some of our PCs.
The power-packed device made for our eminent augmented and virtual universe, does come with a very real price tag, though. The 8GB RAM/128GB storage version is a pocket-burning MYR3,799, that makes it pricier than the Samsung Galaxy S8+.
Scorching price tag aside, the ZenFone AR is an impressive piece of kit. Firstly, it comes equipped with a 5.7-inch Quad HD AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 4.
Its metal chassis is wrapped in a faux leather back, reminiscent of the old ZenFone Zoom.
Looking at how AR and VR are both compute- and graphic-intensive, the ZenFone AR hardware needed to be top notch.
Under the hood is the Snapdragon 821 processor, though not currently the best from Qualcomm, still a powerful chip. As mentioned, there’s a whopping 8GB of RAM, something unfathomable on a smartphone before this.
The Tango- and Daydream VR-ready system uses a sophisticated three-camera system that ASUS calls Tricam. It comprises a single 23MP rear camera, a motion tracking camera and a depth sensing camera.
Working in tandem, they deliver a complete augmented reality experience.
Google DayDream VR is an immersive experience, and one of the most complete out there. It has dedicated games and apps; a motion controller and a VR UI.
Additionally, the ZenFone AR also has ASUS Vapor Cooling technology to keep things running cool.
The ASUS ZenFone AR runs Android 7.0 Nougat with the latest Zen UI 3.0 on top.
Pricing and availability
The device is priced at MYR3,799 and will be available for purchase this coming weekend. Expect general availability in stores by Monday, 10 July 2017.
Each ZenFone AR unit comes with a one-year 1-to-1 exchange warranty.
Photos cred: Soyacincau.com |#TeamMindBlow
