Augmented reality has the potential to develop into an incredible technology. Google is spending lots of time and money on their Tango AR software and the new Lenovo Phab 2 Pro smartphone is all about AR. So, you would expect this would be an extraordinary device combining Lenovo and Google Tango. The problem is this first-generation product does not live up to the hype. Not yet anyway. Then again, this is the same as every other transformative technology when it begins.
This device is advanced and is state of the art with regards to AR today. The problem is today there are very few useful apps that use this new technology. So, for now, I think it’s more for developers than for users.
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is all about augmented reality
That may change over the next few years, but for now I don’t think most average users will find value like they do with their regular Android or iPhone devices. In addition, the phone is large and heavy and uses battery power too quickly for a regular device most people carry with them. This would work better as an extra device, not as the main smartphone we carry with us.
Everybody likes to play with AR technology, but only to a point. How much time can you spend playing AR games or seeing AR dragons sitting on the couch next to you, but only on-screen of course. Then again, the first Apple iPhone started out the same way and it became an industry leader. So, you never know what will happen tomorrow.
Google Tango AR software
This is the first smartphone to use Google Tango software, and ushers in a new era for smartphone development and usage. With Google behind it, AR will create all sorts of entertainment and valuable apps after it gets going.
However, while this Phab 2 Pro is advanced with regards to AR, it is behind the curve in other areas important to smartphone users. It uses two cameras to detect and measure the area around it and the items and people in that area. Then it uses AR technology to manipulate the picture and add things that are not there.
Think “Pokemon Go,” which has captured the imagination and started users thinking about AR. However, “Pokemon Go” is an app that users can download and use on their smartphone, while the Phab 2 Pro is a smartphone.
These are two completely different things. I can see how many users enjoy the “Pokemon Go” app on their existing smartphone. However, I cannot yet see how users will buy an AR smartphone with the limitations it puts on the smartphone.
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro issues and problems
I see the same issues and problems with this Lenovo Phab 2 Pro that I saw a few years ago with the Facebook phone, the Amazon Fire Phone, the Comcast phone and the Time Warner Cable phone. These were all successful companies in their own space, yet they failed in the wireless smartphone world.
Lenovo partnering with Google has a better chance for success, especially as AR gets better over time and all the weak spots in the actual smartphone are strengthened. However, that will take some time.
So, bottom line, I think the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is a great new device in the new augmented reality world, but it’s just not there yet. I think it will be more valuable to developers than to actual users at this early stage. However, if Lenovo and Google continue to advance AR, this area could eventually grow. This could be considered a first-generation iPhone or Android device. Exciting, just not there yet. With all that said, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro this is a great step in a new direction in wireless.
