LIVE FROM CES 2017, LAS VEGAS: Taiwanese vendor Asus jumped into the worlds of augmented and virtual reality with the launch of Zenfone AR, claimed to be “the world’s first Tango-enabled and Daydream-ready phone.”

Project Tango is a tech platform from Google which uses advanced computer vision, depth sensing and motion tracking to create on-screen 3D experiences, allowing users to explore physical environments via the device.

Daydream is Google’s platform for mobile virtual reality.

While Daydream is supported by the new Zenfone, it’s the AR aspect that Asus focused heavily on during the event. The presentation featured Johnny Lee, director of engineering for Tango, and Jeff Kirwan, global president of clothing giant GAP, showcasing a number of apps that benefit from AR technology.

Running Android 7.0 (Nougat), the smartphone has a 5.7-inch display and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 processor. It’s also claimed to be the world’s first 8GB RAM smartphone. Launch is scheduled for Q2 2017.

Asus’ push into augmented reality follows other moves from companies such as Lenovo, which in June announced Phab2 Pro, using Google’s Project Tango to enable motion tracking, depth perception and area learning.

Zenfone 3 Zoom
Meanwhile the company also unveiled Zenfone 3 Zoom, “built for photography.” Boasting three “prime lenses” in one smartphone – a 2.3x optical zoom camera, 12MP SuperPixel main camera (from Sony) and a Sony 13MP front camera, it is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor and will be available from next month.