Google is teaming up with Qualcomm for its intriguing Project Tango, which consists of smartphones and tablets equipped with special cameras, sensors, and more for a 3D experience.
We already knew about a Project Tango tablet, and now a special smartphone is about to launch soon. Project Tango devices aim to create a "3D model of the space around you" by using a slew of cameras, sensors and special software. The hardware, meanwhile, is designed to take a whopping quarter of a million 3D measurements each second, updating the data in real time.
Qualcomm has now officially announced that it is working with Google on a new Project Tango smartphone that will pack its 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, along with an Adreno 430 graphics processing unit (GPU). The handset will only be available to developers and device manufacturers when it launches this summer, not the general public. In other words, the upcoming device is virtually Qualcomm's reference smartphone, while also packing the neat capabilities of Project Tango.
"Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM 810 processor will power Google's next generation Project Tango smartphone development platform. Project Tango devices combine the camera, gyroscope, and accelerometer to estimate six degree of freedom motion tracking, providing developers the ability to track 3D motion of a device while simultaneously creating a map of the environment. This capability is especially useful for applications such as real-world 3D gaming, indoor navigation, and virtual and augmented reality experiences," Qualcomm announced.
"Developers will be able to utilize tools from Qualcomm Developer Network to take advantage of features included in the premium tier Snapdragon 810 processor and enhance the performance of Android applications, such as access to the Qualcomm® Hexagon DSPTM via the Hexagon SDK as well as the Qualcomm® VuforiaTM mobile vision platform."
When it comes to the Project Tango tablet, Google announced at its I/O 2015 developer conference that it will release the slate next week, at a $512 price tag. The tablet will be available for everyone, launching on the Google Play store.
It's worth pointing out that this Project Tango tablet set to hit the Play Store next week is the same slate that launched for developers earlier this year, at twice the price it is now. The tablet sports a 7-inch full HD display, an NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, two cameras with a depth sensor, and the usual connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE and 4G LTE.
