Orange to launch the Sharp Aquos SH80F 3D Android smartphone next month
Phones made and released in Japan usually stay there, and are almost never introduced in other countries. That’s why I was surprised to find out that Orange will officially release the Sharp “AQUOS PHONE SH80F” in France sometime in October. Already available in Japan via NTT docomo as the AQUOS PHONE SH-12C (pictured below), the [...]
Yahoo-branded Android Gingerbread phone announced in Japan
Google and Yahoo are far from being best friends, and yet here we have an Android smartphone that’s Yahoo-branded. The handset has been announced in Japan by SoftBank Mobile, and should become available there starting next month. Simply called “Yahoo! Phone”, the device is a remake of the SoftBank 009SH (manufactured by Sharp). It runs [...]
Sharp Galapagos 7-inch Android Tablet passes FCC
Sharp is looking to enter the mobile market with its own attempt at an Android Tablet. Unfortunately, we don’t have many details on the device besides a few different size dimensions and the name “Galapagos.” We’ve heard rumors in the past of a 5-inch and 10-inch version of the Galapagos, and we saw a 10.8-inch [...]
Another Sharp Android phone (SH8188U) coming to North America, Europe and Asia?
Here’s another Sharp Android smartphone that may be released in North America sometime soon – just like that QWERTY handset that we told you about a few weeks ago. This time, we’re dealing with a keyboardless device that’s called Sharp SH8188U. According to the Bluetooth SIG, this smartphone should be introduced not only in North [...]
New Android-based Sharp phone leaked, coming to AT&T?
We’ve just received a photo of an unannounced and previously unseen Sharp Android smartphone, and we have reasons to believe this may be a new Sidekick handset for T-Mobile USA. Yes, an Android-based Sidekick, just like the Sidekick 4G (which, of course, isn’t made by Sharp, but by Samsung). According to our source, the new [...]
Disney Android phone announced in Japan
Disney Mobile (which operates as an MVNO in Japan) announced the upcoming launch of its first smartphone. Available to Japanese customers starting next month, the smartphone is based on Android 2.2 Froyo and seems to be a Disney-branded version of the Sharp 003SH. The Disney Android phone features a 3.8 inch WVGA 3D touchscreen display, [...]
Sharp Alice SH0037D and Tango SH6017D launched in India with Opera Mini pre-installed
Sharp has recently released two new phones in India: the Sharp Alice SH0037D and the Sharp Tango SH6017D. Both handsets come with Opera Mini pre-installed, so users will have a quick way of accessing the web while on the go. Apart from featuring Opera Mini, the Sharp Alice has a 2.8 inch WQVGA (400 x [...]
Sharp is promising 3D smartphone by the end of the year
Sharp is reportedly planning to make a big splash in the global smartphone space later this year. Sharp is already one of the biggest phone manufacturers for the advanced Japanese market, and has recently tried to make inroads into the rest of the world by being the company that produced Microsoft’s failed Kin line of [...]
AT&T launches Sidekick-lookalike Sharp FX
Sharp was the company that manufactured T-Mobile’s Sidekick line of phones. They were also the ones making Microsoft’s Kin One and Kin Two. Neither of those lines has proven to be a real mass-market success in the USA, but Sharp seem set to adopt the “pick yourself up and try again” philosophy. Hence, the Sharp [...]
Microsoft Kin One and Kin Two coming to Verizon on May 6 for under $100 on contract
That rumor about the launch date of Verizon’s Kin One and Kin Two was almost exact: the new Microsoft phones will be available online at Verizon starting May 6. The devices will also be available in the carrier’s stores across the US, but only starting May 13. Microsoft has confirmed these launch dates. Moreover, the [...]
Japanese consortium to launch new mobile app platform for Symbian and Linux smartphones
At least six Japanese companies have teamed up to create a new mobile application platform targeting Symbian and Linux mobile operating systems. The group consists of NTT DoCoMo, Renesas Electronics, Fujitsu, NEC, Panasonic Mobile and Sharp. As to why these six particular companies decided to work with each other, it’s still not clear. But current [...]
Microsoft’s Pink phones show up again, might hit both Verizon and Vodafone
Although Microsoft hasn’t officially announced them, the Project Pink phones are almost certainly real and coming to Verizon in the near future. Codenamed Pure and Turtle, the handsets have appeared in two new leaked images over at Engadget. Manufactured by Sharp (one of Japan’s leading phone makers), the Microsoft Pink Pure and Pink Turtle seem [...]
Sharp solar-powered phone (SH6230C) coming to China, other global markets
Sharp, one of Japan’s largest mobile phone makers, announced the upcoming availability of the solar-powered Sharp SOLAR HYBRID SH6230C in China. The company has already released solar-powered phones in Japan last year, but this is the first time when it launches such a handset outside its home market. The Sharp SH6230C is a clamshell that [...]
Samsung, LG, RIM and Sharp will support JIL widget specs
The Joint Innovation Lab (JIL), whose members include Verizon, Vodafone, China Mobile and Softbank, announced that top handset makers agreed to support the JIL widget specification in phones released starting the first quarter of 2010. The handset makers are: Samsung, LG, Research in Motion and Sharp. It is the first time when giant phone manufactures [...]
High-end SOLAR HYBRID SH-08A phone from NTT DoCoMo
NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s leading mobile carrier, announced that it has developed a new solar-powered phone, called SOLAR HYBRID (or SH-08A). Part of the docomo STYLE series, the SH-08A can be charged with both electricity and sunlight. Reportedly, 10 minutes of solar recharging is enough for about one minute of talk-time. Built by Sharp, the phone [...]
T-Mobile Sidekick 2009 (PV300) approved by FCC, 3G confirmed
Remember that T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009, which would reportedly come with a 854 x 480 pixels screen, GPS and 3G connectivity? Well, the 3G part is now confirmed, as the Sharp-made handset has just been approved by the FCC, under the internal name of PV300. It’s not clear yet how T-Mobile USA will officially call the new [...]
Japan handset vendors now ready for global limelight
Fujitsu and NTT DoCoMo’s move to offer a new handset officially outside Japan was no accident. Other Japanese handset makers like Sharp, Kyocera and NEC are also eyeing to make good on sales of their notable handsets worldwide. This is a trend that has only started recently. Just as Fujitsu’s F905i handset was announced in [...]
SoftBank 930SH out in Japan with an 8MP CCD autofocus camera
Clamshells with 5 Megapixel cameras are so last year in Japan. 8MP flip phones are all the rage now, and the new SoftBank 930SH comes to sustain my affirmation. Created by Sharp for SoftBank, the 930SH is truly unique among camera phones. That’s because its autofocus camera, instead of having a standard CMOS sensor, comes [...]
HSUPA mobile phone prepared by NTT DoCoMo, Renesas, Sharp and Fujitsu
Japan strikes again with big plans regarding the future of mobile phones. Four of the country’s giant companies, Renesas, NTT DoCoMo, Fujitsu and Sharp have announced today their intention to develop what they call a “SH-Mobile G4 single-chip LSI device”, as well as a platform to incorporate said device. This should be able to support [...]
Sharp to try its luck in Chinese cellphone market with Aquos clamshell phone
Although Sharp is having very little success in markets that are outside its home country of Japan, it has announced plans to venture into China’s mobile phone market with a new high-end Aquos phone. Currently, Sharp sells mobile phones in Japan, US, Europe, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. With this move, they will be vying against [...]