Changhong H2: this phone can sense materials

Ever wanted a smartphone that could identify materials with a quick scan? It’s not science fiction, as the Changhong H2, on show at CES 2017, claims to do exactly that.

The Chinese phone packs a molecular scanner of sorts, allowing users to scan and identify materials/objects.

“Every object has a unique molecular fingerprint. The H2 is the only phone that can read it,” the company said in a promo video for the device.

The company touts the device for a variety of functions, such as measuring body fat, figuring out the sweetness of fruit or identifying fake pills. That last one might be handy for drug dealers and their clientele, one would imagine. The featured video also shows users being able to scan snacks like ice cream for calories.

Changhong confirmed that they’re also going to release an SDK for the phone, allowing third-party developers to create apps that take advantage of the molecular scanner.

Even if the Changhong H2 can deliver half of these scanning functions, it would make for a rather useful handset.

In terms of other tech details, you’re looking at a device with a 6-inch full HD screen, 3000mAh battery, a “special button” to clean the cache and extend battery life (wut), a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and an unspecified 2Ghz octacore processor (presumably MediaTek).

No price has been announced for the Changhong H2, with the phone also having a vague 2017 launch date.