DHAKA: Lenovo has announced two unusual smartphones - a model that uses special cameras to scan its surroundings and a handset with optional snap-on parts.

The Phab2Pro’s sensors allow it to make sense of objects and close-by spaces, allowing graphics to be intelligently added to real-world views, reports the BBC.

The Moto Z uses magnets to add optional hardware modules to the phone’s rear including a speaker and a projector.

Analysts said the innovations might prove a tough sell.

That would complicate Lenovo’s efforts to turn around sales of its own phones and those of the Motorola division it bought from Google for $2.8bn in 2014.

‘There’s a delicate balance between being on the leading edge and the bleeding edge, and Lenovo skirts that line,’ said Ramon Llamas from the tech research firm IDC.

‘If these products prove to be a hit - and that’s a big if - then Lenovo emerges as a leading edge vendor.

‘The Phab2Pro has a lot of promise, showing immediate value creation within certain use cases. The Moto Z is certainly innovative, but I'm not sure how much consumers can wrap their brains around modular devices.’

The announcements were made at an event in San Francisco, where bendy smartphone and tablet prototypes were also revealed.

Lenovo is currently the world's sixth bestselling smartphone-maker, according to IDC, after being overtaken by two other Chinese brands, Oppo and Vivo towards the start of the year.

The Beijing-based company reported in May that it had swung to a loss of $128m in its last financial year.

It acknowledged at the time that it was having problems integrating Motorola.

BDST: 0537 HRS, JUN 10, 2016
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