IDF 2015 | Intel reveals smartphone prototype with RealSense

Intel RealSense was but a small blurb at last year's IDF, but the technology has evolved to make up half IDF 2015 with developers showing off work-in-progress games and features that utilize the 3D cameras. One of these is a prototype smartphone with RealSense cameras that work similarly to the already released Venue 8 7000 tablet.

Intel demonstrated a key feature of the prototype live onstage during its keynote conference. The smartphone can be used to slowly scan a 3D model of the room and even show the positioning of the smartphone as it moves relative to the objects and walls around it. Users will also be able to acquire 3D models of real-world objects to upload to games or share online. Furthermore, its depth-sensing capabilities can be used for Kinect-like games when the smartphone is connected to an external display. 

Otherwise, not much else is known about the Android prototype including the exact processor used and which manufacturers will be launching consumer models based on this Intel design. Camera resolution and depth limits, for example, have not been finalized. The chassis itself has a unique design, but is thick and plastic nonetheless. Intel tells us we should begin seeing RealSense smartphones by 2016.

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