After making the Zenfone AR available through carrier Verizon, ASUS has also rolled out the unlocked version of the latest Zenfone to online retailers in the United States on Thursday.
The unlocked version will come in two configurations. The first has 64 GB of storage and 6 GB of random access memory (RAM) and is available for $599. The other variant, which has 128 GB of internal memory and 8 GB of RAM, can be availed for $699.
The Verizon version features 128 GB of storage and 6 GB RAM and can be purchased for a retail price of $648 or $27 per month for 24 months. It is available both online and through retail stores.
The Zenfone AR is only the second phone to employ Google's Tango augmented reality (AR) technology, and the first high-end device to do so. It uses 3D mapping to enable placement of digital objects in the real world through the use of cameras and advanced positioning systems.
Last year, Lenovo unveiled the Phab 2 Pro, a large, 6.4-inch phone and tablet hybrid. Even though it was a mid-range device, it was the first ever to feature Google's Tango. With its advanced specifications, the Zenfone AR should be able to make the most of the Tango in ways that the Phab 2 Pro was never able to do.
With the massive success of the popular "Pokemon GO" video game, which employs augmented reality to merge the world of the fantastical creatures into the real world, AR looks to be a huge technological trend of the near future. Google's Tango came out of the gates relatively slow, but it's expected that more android devices will start tapping into AR's potential through the Tango very soon.
Apple, on the other hand, is making strides in AR technology, with the launch of its own ARKit last June. The ARKit is a developer platform which will allow programmers to create apps that uses AR technology. It is poised to become the largest AR platform in the world, as it will compatible with all iPads and iPhones with the IOS 11 update.
