Turing's new phone boasts human and digital assistants
The Appassionato is clearly aimed at the luxury crowd.
Remember the Turing Phone? You're forgiven if you didn't. Turing Robotic Industries unveiled the ambitious phone to much fanfare, only to delay it multiple times and even switch operating systems. That isn't stopping the company from producing a follow-up, though -- it's teaming up with TCL to make its next upscale phone, the Appassionato. The Android device is still made from Turing's signature extra-strong Liquidmorphium alloy (complete with a ceramic-like carbon coating), but it now includes a hybrid concierge and voice assistant service named, naturally, Sir Alan. Details of how it works aren't clear, but it'll let you get "lifestyle and business recommendations" from both AI and human helpers.
Turing isn't divulging the full specs just yet. However, you'll get a not-quite-current Snapdragon 820-series chip, a fingerprint reader and a scratch-resistant sapphire screen. The posh materials and assistant are going to cost you, however: a base PX8 version of the Appassionato will cost $1,099 when it arrives in September, while a "premium-luxury" GX8 version will cost $1,599.
There's clearly good reason to be skeptical given the historical mismatch between Turing's hype and its ability to deliver. However, the TCL partnership might help. TCL is no stranger to making smartphones, and recently inked a deal with BlackBerry to take responsibility for its hardware. It may help Turing translate all its high-flying ideas into a product that both arrives on time and meets expectations.
