Motorola is planning to introduce Project Tango Mod for its Moto Z smartphone. Google's Tango is a combination of camera sensors and software technologies combined to help map the outdoor areas for augmented reality. Moto Z, on the other hand, is an innovative smartphone that is lightweight and fast in terms of performance and can add new abilities with a swap on module.
Motorola CEO Aymar de Lencquesaing said Lenovo may have introduced the first Tango smartphone but Moto Z will be the first to get Tango add-on module. PCMag quotes him as saying, "The tablet folks [at Lenovo] did a phablet and worked with Google, the Tango team, to come out with a Tango phablet. We're likely to to have a Tango module to basically enable the Z to have Tango functionality."
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, the first Tango smartphone recently went on sale but failed to appeal to critics. The device's only highlight Tango feature did stand out but the overall product was found to be buggy and slow.
With Tango, Motorola believes its Moto Z can appeal to more consumers. Moto Z already can turn into a projector or optical zoom camera with 'Moto Mods' and with Tango Mod, it will become an AR powerhouse that one can carry in their pockets. Moto Z features a 5.2-inch Quad HD display and is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor. The smartphone is just 5.2mm thick and comes with 4GB RAM and 2600mAh battery.
Motorola is already leading the industry towards modular smartphone design. "Augmented reality on a phone is a technology that's likely to stick," Lencquesaing said. "Of course we'll follow, or lead, the market in this area."