ASUS ZenFone AR with Tango and 8GB of RAM will debut this summer, says Google

The last time we played with ASUS’ Tango-supported ZenFone AR, it was in January during CES. Since then, we have heard very little from the Taiwanese firm, but Google confirmed the phone is still alive during I/O 2017.

As a refresher, the ZenFone AR was unveiled alongside the ZenFone 3 Zoom during CES 2017. The ZenFone AR packs a 5.7-inch, Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, a 23 MP camera, and a vapor cooling system. That system is there to prevent the phone from overheating when using Tango and Daydream, Google’s AR and VR platforms, respectively.

The ZenFone AR is the first phone to support both platforms, though it is not the first to introduce Tango to the world – that distinction belongs to the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. Thankfully, the ZenFone AR is much smaller than Lenovo’s beast of a handset, so it should allow for a more comfortable smartphone experience. The ZenFone AR is also the first phone to pack a whopping 8GB of RAM. The phone will be available with 6GB of RAM as well, but admit it: having 8GB of RAM at your disposal might be too tempting to pass.

Read: Google, HTC, and Lenovo announce standalone Daydream headsets

Google did not mention when exactly the ZenFone AR will be available, but did say to look out for it this summer. When we first saw the phone, it ran Android 7.0 Nougat at the time, but there is a small chance it could run Android O out of the box when it launches. We will keep an eye out for the phone as the summer months approach, but in the meantime, let us know in the comments whether the ZenFone AR is up your alley.