ASUS ZenFone AR (ZS571KL / ZS570KL)

Very good screen ; A great demo device for mobile AR and VR

Too expensive ; Not water-resistant ; Old processor

The Asus Zenfone AR’s camera array is one of the phone’s key features. There are three sensors, but only one of them seems to be used when actually taking pictures.

Nice looking and well-made smartphone ; Big bright screen ; Fast and fluid performance

Tango is essentially dead ; AR is moving beyond extra cameras and sensors ; Questionably button quality and Asus software

The Asus ZenFone AR came just at the wrong time. It's one of those strange cases where all of its technological advancement is redundant straight out of the box. As surprised as we are to see it launched, it's still kind of exciting to see what Tango...

Tango and DayDream ; Feature-packed ; Premium specs

Expensive ; Bettered by rivals in most areas

The ZenFone AR is one of the most expensive smartphones to hit the UK in 2017, although also one of the more unique handsets we’ve had the pleasure of reviewing..

Augmented reality and VR in one pocketable package ; Gorgeous AMOLED screen ; Competent camera

Outdated (but still quick) CPU ; Cameras that enable AR unavoidably pricey ; Custom Android UI is a little overbearing

A cool combination of VR and AR in one package, but expensive as a result – and feels a little behind the times in other areas

If you’re really determined to see the glass as half full, and are willing to squint a bit, you can just about see the outline of Asus’s thinking. Sure, there are plenty of great phones already out there, but maybe the public is secretly dying for AR,...

Support for both Daydream VR and Google Tango ; Great display ; Impressive audio quality ; Surprisingly good camera ; Solid performance, even with Tango apps

ASUS's ZenUI feels like overkill ; Disappointing battery life ; Many Tango experiences miss the mark ; Not compelling if you're not interested in Tango

Lenovo's Phab2 Pro might have been first, but the ZenFone AR's superior hardware makes it the best Tango device yet. That's not really saying much, though: The Tango experience isn't much better than it was a year ago, and there still isn't much there...

Nice, bright display ; Supports both Tango AR and Daydream VR ; Good camera

Poor battery life ; Not water resistant ; AR apps aren’t compelling

The ZenFone AR phone is a nice phone, and it’s impressive what Asus has managed to do with the Tango requirements. But the AR in the phone itself is just okay, and the “AR” attached to its name won’t have staying power. Soon phones will just have...