Google and Intel join hands to develop 3D smartphone camera

While there is still no clarity about when we'll be able to buy a smartphone with Google's 3D-sensing Project Tango technology inside, here's good news: Intel is contributing its own 3D camera tech to Google to help make it a reality.

Even though Intel has its own competing depth-sensing camera technology, Intel RealSense, the two companies have collaborated to create the smartphone you see above, which Intel flashed briefly on stage at the company's developer conference. But this isn't a smartphone you're likely to be able to buy, probably just a reference design that smartphone manufacturers can use to create their own devices in future. It means that phones which can track your location indoors, map out rooms in real time and play augmented reality games are inching closer to us.