Lenovo teams up with Google for first consumer Project Tango mobile device

Remember Project Tango? The first run with the Project Tango platform was with a tablet. The tablet would use 3D motion tracking with depth sensing to help your mobile device know where it was in space. The combination of hardware and software, along with highly talented developers, apps can create entire rooms in on-screen and the device can react to all your motion and movements. This works to also transform a room from where you enjoy your breakfast, into a battlefield filled with alien bugs trying to eat you. The tablet that is available for users is a developer kit and is meant more for devs to build applications for the future. The Project Tango project is moving right along, although it hasn’t really been talked about much lately. Today some new news has been announced by Google and Lenovo regarding the next Project Tango device.

This announcement and collaboration will be the first consumer grade OEM built mobile device. The press release is pretty vague about the actual device, but we do know the device will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. I am banking on it being a tablet of sorts, like the Yoga line hopefully. However, the concept images clearly show it gearing towards a phone. They look pretty sweet though. Take a look.

“To break new ground in today’s hypercompetitive smartphone and tablet industries, we must take innovation risks – it’s the only way to truly change the way people use mobile technology,” says Chen Xudong, senior vice president and president, Mobile Business Group, Lenovo. “Together with Google we’re breaking down silos by working across mobile hardware and software. Turning our shared vision into reality will create a more holistic product experience that captures the imagination of today’s consumer.”

Beyond the news that Google and Lenovo are working on a device, they didn’t tell us much else. They do, however, want current and future developers to get to work though. Starting today, through February 15th, Google is taking submissions for Project Tango apps. The prize, getting fully funded for your project as well as potentially having your app pre-loaded on the consumer version of the device. Not a bad way to get noticed in a hurry. If you have a project in the works, head over to App Incubator page and submit it.

If you are interested to see what comes out of this as we are, then direct yourself over to the Lenovo Project Tango landing page and sign up to be notified about the device at the bottom of the page.