Motorola is possibly planning on following Lenovo's steps and utilize the augmented reality technology of Google known as Tango.
Aymar de Lencquesaing, chairman and president of Motorola, dropped some hints of a possible Tango Moto Mod during a press event held in Nov. 30.
"The tablet folks did a phablet and worked with Google, the Tango team, to come out with a Tango phablet. Going forward, we'll have to address as a group how do we reconcile the products that are at the fringe? We're likely to have a Tango module to basically enable the Z to have Tango functionality."
Lenovo released the first ever device with the Google Tango technology in the Phab 2 Pro early last month. Motorola, which was acquired by Lenovo in 2014, is likely to follow suit.
If this proves true, the Tango will not be integrated in Motorola's devices unlike what Lenovo did with its phablet. The Moto Z will likely support Tango with the help of a Moto Mod.
The Moto Z, which currently sells for around $499.99, makes use of Moto Mods to perform or improve tasks. The Hasselblad True Zoom mod turns the Z into a high-quality camera while it also becomes a mini projector with the help of the Moto Insta-Share Projector mod. The JBL SoundBoost is a speaker mod while the Incipio offGRID Power Pack provides up to 22 hours of battery life. Another Moto Mod, the Moto Style Shell, turns the Moto Z into a stylish wood-designed phone.
The Tango technology utilizes a number of cameras that help get measurements of depth and motion. A set of sensors is also necessary to provide the device the ability to understand its location and the scene in front of it. All the data gathered will be used for augmented reality, 3D mapping, indoor navigation, and other fun and useful tasks such as creating virtual toys, pets and even furniture.
Turning the Google's Tango tech into a Moto Mod is brilliant.
The Phab 2 Pro has been met with mixed reactions especially with regards to the Tango tech. Engadget describes phablet's depth-sensing ability as "sketchy at best". Plus, the tech had to be squeezed in one device which made the Phab 2 Pro bulky and a bit awkward to use. Despite all these, the Tango's potential is exciting.
The Moto Z and its rumored Tango Moto Mod already looks better than the Phab 2 Pro. The Z figures to remain thin since no Tango tech will be jammed into it. And before the Moto Mod is unveiled and released, Google will likely have figured out how to fix the issues it encountered with the Lenovo phablet.
