A few years ago, Google was trying to reform smart phones through a new generation of sensors and imaging technology, which is the prototype of Project Tango. Now Google has officially changed its name to Tango, and has also moved it from the laboratory to the front of consumers. Phab 2 Pro, launched in cooperation with Lenovo, is its first product. I wonder whether Phab 2 Pro equipped with Tango can bring us joy and amazement when we first contact smart phones?

Appearance

Phab 2 Pro's three dimensions are quite amazing in smart phones, reaching 179.83x88.57x10.7mm. Compared with ordinary smart phones, its size is closer to that of Nexus 7 tablets. For Google and Lenovo, this means that more sensors and necessary components can be inserted to achieve more functions. Of course, the disadvantage is obvious: almost no one does not think this product is small.

If the element of large size is removed, Phab 2 Pro is really a smart phone with traditional design: metal body, CNC processing edge and gradual body curve. The layout of various interfaces is very conventional. Phab 2 Pro can't give any surprise just by looking at the appearance. However, from another point of view, it also proves that Lenovo and Google have the ability to make Tango's machine similar to that of ordinary smart phones, so that users will not feel awkward when using it. The three cameras required by Tango on the back are integrated into the body, and the fingerprint recognition on the back is not too abrupt. These details are handled very well.

Screen quality

Another advantage of Phab 2 Pro's large size is that you can have a 6.4 inch large screen: whether browsing the web, watching videos or using Tango related applications, you can get a better experience. Moreover, the resolution has reached 1440x2560 QHD, which will not be full of "fruit grain" like the 1080P large screen.

However, the brightness of this screen is not satisfactory. The maximum brightness is 425 nits. Although it is much better than the darkest machine in 2016, it is about the average level. Considering Tango's application scenario is more suitable for indoor environment, the brightness is acceptable. There are also some problems with color restoration. The saturation of the default standard configuration is too high, which often causes various small problems. Fortunately, the settings provide adjustment options.

System and performance

Phab 2 Pro is equipped with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Even if it is a member of Tango, it has not been treated as a son in OS. Instead of discussing the system, let's take a look at the featured Tango application. Tango is suitable for AR measurement tools, games and different apps. It can even scan your room to create 3D models to view from different angles. All this sounds promising, but it also brings more annoying problems.

First of all, Tango is unstable, and error messages are often encountered during the whole test process. The Tango system crashes or the app cannot connect to the Tango camera; Secondly, the data measured by Tango is not very reliable. The idea of using mobile phones to measure distance is very good, but at present, only an approximate number can be obtained, which greatly reduces its practicability; Finally, there is the problem of scanning speed. Simple Tango applications have no problem, but apps like Matterport Scenes seem to drain all the performance, resulting in a slow scanning speed. Even 4GB of memory can cause insufficient memory errors when scanning rooms.

It can be said that Tango still has great potential to be tapped and will have more usage scenarios, but as far as the current experience is concerned, many details still need to be enhanced. Lenovo initially announced that the launch in September had actually been postponed to November, but the actual software experience was more like a beta test than a finished product.

Because of the existence of Tango, we were surprised when we first heard that Lenovo equipped Phab 2 Pro with Snapdragon 652 instead of 820. The result is that its general performance is similar to that of Alcatel's Idol 4S or Glory 8. When considering the Phab 2 Pro's $500 price, we can also understand the reason why Lenovo does not have a high-end processor: Snapdragon 652 SoC has more than enough tasks to handle common smart phones.

In terms of practical applications, Tango's applications have high requirements for hardware. Phab 2 Pro has repeatedly encountered a hardware bottleneck problem. Our biggest question now is whether it is due to insufficient processor performance or insufficient optimization of Tango's core function library. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find a confirmed answer. The 64G storage space is very good, and supporting microSD card expansion is even more icing on the cake. 4G memory has no pressure on ordinary games or applications, but there is an error of insufficient memory when running Tango, which reminds us that Tango's memory requirements may be much more than the standard.

Photo performance

Phab 2 Pro focuses on the 3D scanning function, while the general shooting is performed by the 16 million pixel main camera, which is arranged behind the back together with the depth camera and ultra wide angle camera. The actual image looks good and bright, especially after using HDR, the color performance is better, but occasionally there is something abnormal; The disadvantage is that the focus part is not sharp enough. The imaging is good, but not good.

Some photo samples (all samples) are attached ）：

Endurance

Lenovo has equipped the Phab 2 Pro with a 4050mAh battery, but the large battery often leads to poor endurance performance due to the power consumption of the large screen. Fortunately, Lenovo Phab 2 Pro's performance is relatively balanced, and we can get more than 7 hours of screen time in our customized endurance test. Of course, if Tango applications are frequently enabled, the endurance will definitely decline. After all, Tango has high requirements for hardware. In terms of fast charging, it only takes one and a half hours from 0 to 100, which greatly alleviates the problem of endurance.

summary

Phab 2 Pro is a machine with lofty ideals. Tango on it gives us a unique experience, but it seems that this kind of mobile phone does not reach the best state. Tango still has a lot of work to do in software. It needs faster processing speed and better stability. Tango needs to be a selling point alone; At the same time, there are some improvements in the hardware. The Phab 2 Pro's current size can sink most consumers.

For the first commercial Tango mobile phone, we can understand its hardware choice: give Phab 2 Pro a certain processing capability and control its cost. After all, for an experimental concept mobile phone, it is easier to persuade consumers to try it at $500 than at $800. The next Tango machine can easily get a significant improvement on the current Phab 2 Pro, but the function may not make much progress. If you want to know what Tango can do now, Phab 2 Pro is a good entry volume. If you want smart phones to become more sophisticated and powerful, it may be a wiser choice to wait for the next generation of Tango mobile phones.

Translation and arrangement of pictures and texts , delete after infringement (4d5c4f334f9c69aaff43967004ad01dc80213f73)

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