Google's New Tango Phone Is going to be Available by November

Published on October 05, 2016 , in Phone Tweaks, Tech

Google's first ready-to-buy Tango phone will go on sale in November, according to Clay Bavor, head of VR and AR at Google.

2016 is set to be a very big year for Google phones. The search giant just announced two new Pixel phones to compete with the Apple iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy models. But if you're in the market for a new phone this November with the latest Google tech, you may have a hard decision ahead.

Remember the Lenovo Phab2 Pro, the huge 6.4-inch phone with Google's Tango depth-sensing 3D camera system that scans the world around you, can play augmented reality games, help navigate indoors, or see how new furniture and appliances might fit in your home? It's coming next month, according to Google.

Though the phone was originally supposed to ship in the summer, and later got delayed to September and then a nebulous "fall," Clay Bavor, head of VR at Google, confirmed to CNET that the phone will go on sale this November. (Yes, that's the same month as Google's Pixel phones.) The Phab2 Pro should sell for $499 unlocked in the United States, equivalent to £345 or AU$672.

It's important to note that only the Google Pixel phones will be compatible with the Daydream VR headset, not the Phab2 Pro. (It doesn't have the required AMOLED screen to support smooth VR.) That means tech enthusiasts will have to choose between virtual reality and augmented reality if they buy a new Google phone next month.

That might not always be the case, though. "You can imagine in the future you won't have to make a choice, but that's a bit further out," said Bavor, hinting that a single phone might eventually support both the Tango and Daydream platforms.

Source - CNET