Asus ZenFone AR

Pick up the ZenFone AR from Asus and you are bound to be conflicted about this device. You are paying a princely sum for a device with last year’s Snapdragon 821 processor, one with none of the flagship features such as water resistance or wireless charging…but one that comes packed with 8GB of memory. There are three cameras on the rear, but none of those dual camera tricks we have seen on phones this year.  The only reason you will be considering the Asus ZenFone AR is that it is the only device that supports both Tango and Daydream, Google’s platforms for augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), respectively.

Sure, this is not going to win any design awards with its big bezels, but the polished leather back and aluminum frame lend a premium feel to the product. And that screen! It measures 5.7-inches with a 1440x2560 pixel Super AMOLED display, which means crisp details and vibrant colours.

Now, since AR is key to this device, the AR comes loaded with three cameras dedicated to AR – a 23MP main camera, with depth- and motion-sensing cameras that allow you to virtually meld the real with the virtual. Across a variety of built-in and third party apps, the phone does a good job of handling AR, and the results look very realistic…though good Tango apps on the Play Store are still few and far between. VR is equally enjoyable, and I strongly recommend picking up the Google Daydream View headset if you are considering this phone. Of course, the phone got a little hot during extended AR/VR sessions, and the one-day battery life takes a hit as well.

Despite the advanced camera array, the camera struggled to deliver consistent, true-to-life results. So, the AR may push the envelope on AR and VR, but it doesn't deliver a phone that ticks off the checkboxes for a 2017 flagship. It will instead appeal to developers and enthusiasts who want to experiment with AR as the industry evolves. Regular folks would do well to save their money and pick up a OnePlus 5 instead.