UPDATED (8 March, 416PM): Lenovo Malaysia has corrected the price tag for the headset. The company has also decided to bundle it with K4 Note and Vibe X3. More details below.
Alongside the new Lenovo K4 Note and Vibe X3, Lenovo Malaysia has also launched a companion virtual reality headset for our market. Made by ANTVR, the PhoneGlass is apparently designed for Lenovo smartphones although it can generally be used for non-Lenovo smartphones as well.
With a foldable and lightweight design, the PhoneGlass for Lenovo smartphones is mobile enough to carry around and rather simple to operate: just flip out its clamps and slot in the phone. There is no other setup needed but since it does not come with built-in audio capability, users either have to depend on the phone’s speakers or their own headset.
In addition to that, the headset also doesn’t feature any built-in control buttons. This means users still need to interact directly with the phone (as shown above) which is rather difficult when you can’t really accurately see where you pointing or poking at since your view has been changed by the lenses on the headset.
Hence, it is better for users to activate the VR mode on the compatible phone which will split the screen to accommodate each eye before putting it into the headset. While the PhoneGlass might be called a virtual reality headset, users still able to use it with any applications as long as the VR mode is active.
With a viewing angle of 100-degrees, the PhoneGlass is also able to accommodate users with glasses. The cushioning on the headset which is covered by faux leather feels comfortable enough and its velcro-based elastic strap allows users to adjust the headset positioning easily. All in all, the PhoneGlass is a mobile but still a rather rudimentary VR viewer according to my initial brief experience with it
Available immediately for RM 199, Lenovo Malaysia has no immediate plan to bundle it together with either of its new smartphones though. While the decision might seem rather baffling at first but then again, it does made sense once you consider that the headset is not only able to support K4 Note and Vibe X3 but also other smartphones with a screen size of between five and six inches as well as able to support VR contents.
(UPDATE – 8 March, 416PM)
As it turned out, Lenovo Malaysia has corrected the price tag for the ANTVR headset from RM 199 to RM 99 according to a statement that has just landed in our inbox. In addition to that, the company also has reversed its decision not to bundle the headset with the new K4 Note and Vibe X3. Consumers now should receive the ANTVR headset for free alongside their purchase of K4 Note and Vibe X3 at selected stores and retailers while stocks lasts.
