IT is the world’s first smartphone with 8GB of RAM. It is the first device to support Google’s Daydream virtual-reality and Tango augmented-reality platforms. And it is landing in the Philippines in July — for a price. Say hello to the ASUS ZenFone AR (click for complete specs).

The phone, just launched in the country, will retail at P44,995 or about $898, P4,000 ($80) more than in the company’s native Taiwan. That’s on the steep side, but something that we are not surprised about.

First, ASUS has taken a different direction price-wise starting with its ZenFone 3 series; the smartphones in the lineup are not really as wallet-friendly anymore. Second, market-research TrendForce has already warned us that the new crop of handsets may be more expensive as brands raise hardware specifications of their products.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 about 40% costlier than the Note 7?

In case you haven’t heard, the ASUS ZenFone AR has three cameras on its back, and they act as one while in AR mode. One cam detects the distance between objects; the other tracks the device in real time as it is being operated; and the third, a 23-megapixel camera with optical and electronic image stabilization, captures stills and up to 4K videos.

ASUS’ ‘Meet the ZenFone AR’ video

It doesn’t have the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset; what it uses is a Snapdragon 821, but the chip is already optimized for Tango. The screen is a 5.7-inch quad-HD AMOLED, and the ZenUI 3.0 is based on Android 7.0 Nougat. The battery capacity is only 3,300mAh, and that may be a problem when you consider that 8GB of RAM is battery-draining. Well, at least it’s been fitted with a special cooling system to prevent its internals from frying.

READ ALSO: 10 smartphones in PH with batteries above 4,000mAh

So, what do you think? Is the ASUS ZenFone AR worth plunking down P44,995 for?

Image via Stuff Taiwan

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