Lenovo Phab 2 Pro: A dance with the first Google Tango phone
22.2.2017
Translation: machine translated
Forget virtual reality. Augmented reality is the latest hot trend. Well, at least a little bit. Google sees enormous potential in augmented reality with Project Tango and Lenovo has the first compatible smartphone on sale. Take it or wait and see?
Smartphones are getting smarter. Or at least more versatile. Google Daydream and Samsung VR enable virtual reality for beginners with the right headset. The next promising development is also influencing reality, but not virtual reality, but augmented reality. Augmented reality (AR) is the name of the technology that Google is currently promoting under the name Project Tango.
Augmented reality? I've heard that somewhere before, you might be wondering. That's right: for example with "Pokémon GO", the Nintendo 3DS or Microsoft's Hololens. Project Tango may not be quite as sophisticated as AR glasses costing several thousand francs, but it is possible with an ordinary smartphone. Okay, not with every smartphone. The device must be designed for this, which is primarily due to the special camera. The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is the first commercially available device to officially support Tango.
A normal solid mobile, just huge
When you pick up the Phab 2 Pro, it looks like an ordinary smartphone. Except that it's huge. 6.4 inch screen diagonal. Who is it for? For the Hulk? But I hear there are people who like phablets. Apart from that, Lenovo has produced an absolutely solid device with top features: Snapdragon 652, 64 GB memory (expandable via microSD card), 4 GB RAM, QHD display, fingerprint sensor. Nothing to complain about here. Only the lack of a USB-C port is somewhat disappointing. The workmanship is impeccable and the aluminium unibody housing is impressive, even if it is on the chubby side. On the software side, you get Android 6.0.1 with a slight interface customisation that stays very close to Google's template. That's the way I like it.
What I can't stand at all is the startup sound that can't be switched off. Why can't it be muted, please? As I had to restart the device at least four times until all the updates were installed, my colleagues were already giving me dirty looks.
The cameras are the stars
The Phab 2 Pro has four cameras or sensors for Project Tango: an 8 MP front camera, a 16 MP RGB camera, a depth range sensor and a fisheye motion sensor camera. The ensemble is a prerequisite for Project Tango, which is why normal smartphones are not compatible with the technology.
Unlike virtual reality, you don't need to wear glasses for AR. You look through your phone, so to speak. The cameras record the surroundings, transmit them to you via the display and augment your reality with various elements. Thanks to motion and distance sensors, you can also move around with your smartphone and view objects up close or from other angles.
I have downloaded various apps from the Google Play Store and tried them out. Unfortunately, almost everything falls into the category of a nice gimmick. Only some of the set-up and measurement apps are interesting, far from being just an entertaining gimmick. But they don't work perfectly either. Here is a brief overview
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Setting up apps
There are several of them. WafairView, Lowe's Vision or Roomy are all designed to allow you to project furniture or new carpets into your home to see if they fit and how they look. The problem is that the size ratio is often not right or they don't lie completely on the floor. You can also only choose from existing products and therefore cannot conjure up your dream sofa.
Google Measure
With this app, you can aim at points and then read off the length or width of the object. Works amazingly well.
Raise
Raise is a modern Tamagotchi. A virtual puppy that you can feed, play with or buy a new sleeping pillow for.
Track Builder Tango
A little racing game in which you chase hot wheels cars over crazy tracks that you can design yourself. When driving, you simply set the speed and then watch as the toy car races through crazy loops and banked turns. As always, you can use your mobile to turn and look around. However, you won't be able to see your real surroundings, instead you'll be in a virtual game world.
Dinos among us
Create different polygon dinosaurs. You can view them in their original size through the display. You can also hang a few virtual pictures on the wall. Great
World
Here you can create a virtual world in your living room or office.
Holo
Holo is a little more fun. This allows you to project various animated figures, such as a man dressed as a gorilla, a wrestler or a Trump impersonator onto any surface in your environment. Various animations are available to you. You can then take photos and videos of a one-metre-tall Donald Trump dancing around on your colleagues' heads. Make sure that you hold your mobile parallel to the surface you want to project, otherwise the figures will float in the air.
Lenovo AR Camera
Similar to Holo, but already pre-installed. Instead of wrestlers and the like, you can have kittens and dragons appear in your surroundings, including a suitable backdrop. The cosy jungle that comes with the dragon would definitely look good in our office.
We-R Cubed
A simple puzzle game that would also work well without AR.
Crayola Colour Blaster
In this game, you shoot zombies with colour until they dance happily. Oh well. At least it's nicely designed.
Conclusion: Potential, but currently still a gimmick
The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is a first-class smartphone with top features. The oversized 6.4-inch screen is clearly too big for mere mortals. However, the size is practical for the AR function, even if it is not necessary. This also applies to all the AR experiments. The games are nothing more than an entertaining distraction and the few apps with practical benefits are not yet mature enough. From this perspective, it is therefore difficult to recommend the purchase. However, you are clearly getting a good device here, especially if you like it big. However, it is not yet worth it for the AR function alone. The technology has a lot of potential, but it's currently just a gimmick.
And the Phab 2 Pro still has one advantage: thanks to its enormous size, my Pixel XL feels really handy again.
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Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
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