Google pairs up with Lenovo for new smartphone

Google has stepped up its investments both in space and product initiatives. The company has extended its partnership with Factory in Berlin and teamed up with Lenovo to develop a new smartphone.

A factory in Berlin is best known to house some corporate giants like Twitter and Uber. It is a start-up space nurturing some of the city's trending new tech companies. Silicon Valley heavyweights, Twitter and Uber, also established their European outposts in the same region. Founded in 2011, Google initially invested in the company in 2012 for a period of three years.

After the investment and presumably the expenditure of the initial investment, Google is renewing its partnership with additional funds in tow, according to Business Insider. While Google did not provide details on the amount of the investment, BI's report presumed it should be around the same amount in 2012. Consequently, Facebook investor Klaus Hommels also placed some sum in the company. It is expected that Google's funds will be used for a number of Google services product credits.

Google's principal of new products, Jens Redmer, said that the Factory is home to innovators.

“We’ll start a mentorship programme from Google, similar to what we are running at [Google] Campus London," Redmer said. He added, "We are happy to prolong our commitment and look forward to supporting the Berlin start-up ecosystem in the coming year."

In light with the new investments, Google has also partnered with Lenovo to develop a new smartphone featuring 3D augmented reality technology, called Project Tango. A member of Google's Tango team, Johnny Lee, explained that Tango's sense of space and motion will be incorporated into a mobile device.

“We can use the room around us to play games, and hide behind the furniture,” Venture Beat quoted Lee. “Project Tango creates a magical window.”

Lenovo Vice President, Jeff Meredith, said that the goal was to develop a mainstream device.

“We locked arms with Google to bring out a consumer device based on Tango," said Meredith.