Google spilt the beans on the upcoming Asus Zenfone AR (ZS571KL) during their Google I/O 2017 keynote presentation. According to Google, the phone will be release this summer. No hard date, but summer was mentioned. Let’s hope that Asus was consulted on that release date announcement!
The image/slide above was shown during the Google I/O presentation. The point Google was making is the size of the Zenfone AR/VR devices has been shrinking. The Zenfone AR shown here is a 5.7-inch device.
Not only did Google spill the beans on the release date but they also showed some footage of the Zenfone AR in the wild. Some super lucky school kids got their hands on a number of pre release models to show off the AR abilities of the technology. It does appear that a selfie stick may be an essential accessory but it’s hard to say at this point. So either the kids were instructed to smile or indeed it’s a fun phone. You decide what was real and what was acting. I do believe the kids were having a great time.
For Asus getting onto the keynote presentation is actually a big deal in terms of being associated with smartphones. It’s a brand play and it appears that the move paid off. It’s a device that is unique and something that Asus can get Google to market on their behalf. Not a bad deal at all. A lot of eyes and coverage on this event.
We believe there are two Zenfone AR type phones coming. One has been unveiled and the other is still under wraps. Perhaps a premium model and a more affordable model. That’s our best guess at this point.
[source: Google I/O 2017 Keynote]
