Sharp Aquos Mini smartphone coming to Japan

Sharp is a major manufacturer of displays and is responsible for a number of high-end panels on flagship laptops including those from Fujitsu and Razer. The Japanese manufacturer also produces a line of Aquos smartphones, though mostly for its home market. Its latest model is the Aquos Mini SH-M03 that, despite its 4.7-inch IGZO display, is only slightly larger than the iPhone SE because of its nearly bezel-free display. Its small footprint is balanced out by its relatively thick 9 mm frame. Sharp is claiming that its FHD panel is capable of 120 Hz for video playback without any motion blur.

Internal specifications are otherwise the standard mainstream fare:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC
• 3 GB RAM
• 16 GB eMMC w/ MicroSD support
• IP58 certification for water and dust resistance
• 13 MP f/1.9 rear + 5 MP front cameras
• 2810 mAh battery
• Dual-band 802.11ac MU-MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1, LTE (bands 1, 3, 19, 21)
• Android 6.0

Sharp is emphasizing superior slow-motion and time-lapse video capabilities from its rear camera. Special software is also included to take advantage of the narrow bezel such as the ability to launch applications from the edges of the display. Note that the supported LTE bands are uncommon outside of its launch region, so buyers who decide to import may see less value out of the device.

The Aquos Mini is available in Japan and online retailers like Rakuten for about 395 Euros converted. See our review on the original Aquos Crystal for more information on the series.

Source(s)