Sharp has announced two new flagship smartphones, the Aquos R8 and Aquos R8 Pro. The ‘Pro’ model is, of course, a more powerful one, but the R8 is nothing to scoff at. These two phones got announced in Japan, as per usual, but they’re quite interesting, and worth talking about.
The Sharp Aquos R8 and R8 Pro are both powerful, but different
Now, both of these smartphones have rather powerful specs, but the ‘Pro’ model is more interesting in that regard. Before we get down to specs, let’s talk about their designs real quick.
Both smartphones have a circular camera setup on the back, but the one on the ‘Pro’ model is noticeably larger. The ‘Pro’ variant also has a curved backplate, unlike the regular handset. The sides are flattish on both devices.
Having said that, you’ll also find flat displays on the front. The Sharp Aquos R8 has a dewdrop notch at the top, while the ‘Pro’ variant includes a display camera hole, which is centered.
Sharp opted for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a flagship SoC
When it comes to specs, there are some similarities here, but they’re mostly different. Let’s talk about what they have in common, though. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC fuels both smartphones. That is Qualcomm’s most powerful offering to date.
Both devices also offer UFS 4.0 flash storage, 256GB worth of it, and you can also expand it via a microSD card. Both phones also offer Bluetooth 5.3, 5G support, and IPX5 / IPX8 / IP6X water and dust resistance. Android 13 comes pre-installed, and Sharp promised 3 years of Android OS updates, and 5 years of security updates.
Both devices include an audio jack
Stereo speakers are included inside both smartphones too, and both devices come with Dolby Atmos support. You will also find an audio jack on both of these phones. That is a rarity these days, needless to say.
That is where the similarities between the two phones end. The ‘Pro’ variant comes with a larger display, different camera setup, larger battery, and so on.
You will also find a 240Hz display on both phones, though they’re not the same
The Sharp Aquos R8 Pro features a 6.6-inch WUXGA+ (2730 x 1260) Pro IGZO OLED display. Its refresh rate is adaptive, it goes from 1 to 240Hz, actually. Dolby Vision support is also included.
The phone offers 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner. A 5,000mAh battery is also included, and it supports “fast charging”, though we don’t know how fast. We’re also not sure whether wireless charging is included, but it doesn’t seem to be.
A 47.2-megapixel 1-inch camera sensor is a part of the package. It offers an f/1.9 aperture Leica Summicron lens, and EIS support. A 1.9-megapixel low light ToF AF 14cn spectrum sensor is also included on the back. On the front, a 12.6-megapixel selfie camera (f/2.3 aperture) can be found.
The Sharp Aquos R8, on the other hand, has a 6.39-inch fullHD+ display. That is a Pro IGZO OLED display, and it also has an adaptive refresh rate of 1-240Hz, and Dolby Vision support.
The Sharp Aquos R8 is even a rugged phone, to a degree
This smartphone offers up to 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and an optical in-display fingerprint scanner. It is also MIL-STD-810G certified for ruggedness, and includes a 4,570mAh battery. “Fast charging is listed for this one too”.
A 50.3-megapixel 1/1.55” sensor is included here, with an f/1.9 aperture Leica lens, and EIS support. A 13-megapixel ultrawide camera (f/2.0 aperture, 118-degree FoV) sits on the back of the phone. On the front, you’ll find an 8-megapixel selfie unit (f/2.0 aperture).
These two devices will be available in Japan only, from July 2023. Price tags are still not known. It would be nice if Sharp tried selling its devices globally, to bring more competition to the market.
[ad_2]
Source link
