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Showing posts with label Sharp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sharp. Show all posts

Clear Shots of Sharp 930SH - Sharp’s First 8-megapixel digital camera phone

The Sharp 930SH phone is a world-class camera phone for users who want to take high-quality pictures. Its built-in camera features and specifications blow any competitor anyway easily. The phone comes equipped with 8-megapixel CCD camera with advanced camera features, including, ISO 2500, face-detection, Pro Pix, 4-seconds night flash, and etc. Plus, the phone is equipped with a 3-inch New Mobile ASV screen in 854 x 480 resolutions. If you live in the United States, please don't hope that this phone will land in United States anytime soon, unless you have friends in Japan, who are willing to ship the Sharp 930SH phone to you.

Sharp 930SH Phone

Sharp 930SH Phone

Sharp 930SH Phone

Sharp 930SH Phone


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Softbank’s Sharp Aquos Fulltouch 931SH slider does high-resolution touchscre...

These days, a touchscreen smartphone in your pocket (or in your hand) shows the world that you know what's what in the mobile space and you're not afraid to sit on the always-moving edge of high-technology. And, if you're lucky enough to be rocking a smartphone with a VGA or WVGA touchscreen display, you're probably resting easy knowing that you're near or at the top of the mobile phone food chain.

That is, unless you live in Japan. Enter Softbank's Sharp AQUOS FullTouch 931SH touchscreen handset with a 3.8-inch 1024 x 480 display!

Those crazy engineers at Sharp have one-upped themselves with their latest AQUOS-branded high-resolution display handset. Known for their sleekly styled and feature-packed mobile phones, Sharp has a habit of making us drool with AQUOS cellphones boasting contrast, color saturation, and pixel densities that we can only dream of in The States.

The Softbank's Sharp AQUOS FullTouch 931SH handset boasts an amazingly high-resolution, AQUOS-branded display with pixel-counts that darn near rival those on sub-notebooks. That's right, this feature-phone packs in an impressive 1024 x 480 pixel display that should make pictures taken with the handset's 5.2 megapixel camera look mighty fine. Of course the Sharp AQUOS FullTouch 931SH packs in Japanese handset staples like a 1-Seg TV tuner, Bluetooth 2.0, media player, microSD card slot, accelerometer, and a web-browser that'll put the 3G data connection to good use.

As you've probably already guessed, the Sharp AQUOS FullTouch 931SH isn't going to finding a home anywhere outside of Japan, or outside of Softbank's network, for that matter. Now, short of moving to Japan, we can only hope that handset makers will bring WVGA-trumping touchscreen displays to the rest of the world!


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Sharp 9225H looks like a sub-netbook


According to Mobile Today, who in turn spotted an article on AVing, Sharp has announced a soon-to-launch device called the 9225h. It looks like a sub-sub-netbook/Mobile/palmtop - though I’m sure there’s a more concise term for it!

In some respects, it looks not dissimilar to the Nokia E90, but I would imagine Sharp are looking to cash in on the netbook trend, at least to some extent. Apparently there is a 3.5 inch screen, camera, TV tuner, and microSDHC slot.

Given the phone was spotted at the CEATEX show, and the device vendor, expect to see this over in Japan, followed (maybe, just maybe) by some other countries - time will tell.

Sharp 9225H has large screen with 3.5″ VGA internal screen.no word for full specification and price, but you can read some specifications below:
# 1seg TV tuner;
# multimedia player;
# e-mail functionality;
# 2Mpix camera;
# microSDHC slot (Iron & Wine tunes)

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KDDI Fall Winter Cellphone Line Rocks Big Screens, Mobile TV, Fitness [Cellp...

Proving again that Japan has the prettiest phones in the world, au by KDDI has released its Fall and Winter lines, showing off eight new models with emphases on super bright and big Organic EL screens, multimedia "au BOX" connectivity, and a funky mobile personal trainer and calorie counter called "Karada Manager." While we will probably never see these gadgets States-side, I can't stop myself from obsessing over them. Perhaps I've got a case of unrequited mobile love.



The Hitachi Wooo W63H and Casio Exilim W63CA both came with 3.1-inch organic electro-luminescent screens and the ability to sync up with au BOX and Lismo Video (which lets you download full movies onto your handset). The Casio Exilim also boasts an 8.1MP camera, making it a pretty good point-and-shoot replacement.


Sharp Aquos' model beats out the Hitachi and Casio on screen size (3.5-inches), even if it's not OEL. While the battery life is probably shorter, those .4-inches could make a big difference if you're a big TV-on-the-cellphone watcher.


Sony Ericcson's re fashion phone kind of reminds me of the Nokia I owned in High School, only its interchangeable fashion plates are much nicer. Right now, you can buy soon-to-be-dated 007 and Fifa World Cup themed plates.


The Toshiba W65T is a sportsy slider that includes, along with the au BOX connectivity and LISMO movie viewing, a Wireless Music option and GPS.


The last three phones in the line up are, more simplistic fashion phones. I guess not everybody's enamored with a handset that has more features than you can shake a stick at. Though the Kyocera W65K, SE W64S and Panasonic W62P (left to right) eschew LISMO and au BOX, they still come with the Karada Manager.

Even if none of KDDI's lineup makes it outside the Land of the Rising Sun, some of these features will probably trickle to the States a couple years down the line.


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Sharp WX-T825


Sharp WX-T825 is a powerful multimedia slider phone with support of HSDPA/UMTS /Triband GSM network. The Sharp WX-T825 is known as the Softbank 825SH Pantone Slide in Japan and as SH8010C in China market. Though the 825SH comes in eight colors in Japan, the WX-T825 will be available in only Black, White and Champagne in Taiwan.

The Sharp WX-T825 features a 2.8-inch new Mobile ASV LCD display (240 × 400 pixels), a 2 Megapixel auto focus camera, Media Player, QR-Code reader, Bluetooth A2DP and a microSD memory expansion slot. WX-T825 comes with also built-in motion sensor that can rotate screen, change pictures, and etc.

Sharp WX-T825 Specification
Date Announced 2008, 4Q
Network Technology HSDPA / UMTS / GSM 900 / 1800/ 1900
Dimensions (mm) 102.9 x 48 x 14.8
Weight (g) 105

Display
Screen Size : 2.8 inch, 240 x 400
Screen Color : TFT 262K colors

Design
Type : Slider
Antenna : Fixed Internal

Memory
Phonebook : 1000
Internal(MB) : 50
Expansion : microSD (TransFlash), up to 4GB

Battery
Battery Type : Li - ion 700 mAh
Stand-by (hrs) : 290
TalkTime(min) : 230

Entertainment
Ringtones
Polyphonic :
MP3 Yes
A2DP Yes
TV Receiver Null
FM Radio No
Video Record Yes
Video Support MPEG4, H.263
Audio Support SMAF, MP3, iMelody, MIDI, AMR, AAC, AAC+

Messaging
SMS Yes
Total SMS 1000
MMS Yes
EMS No
Email Yes

Connectivity
HSDPA Yes, 3.6 Mbps
EDGE Yes
Bluetooth Yes, ver 2.0
3G Yes
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots)
Infrared (IrDA) No
USB Port Yes

Software
Java (J2ME) Yes
WAP Yes Ver 2.0
Platform / OS
Other Application Document viewers

Personals
Themes Yes
Caller ID Photo Caller ID
ProfileID Yes

Camera
Lens Type CMOS, 2.0 Megapixel
Digital zoom
Max. Resolution 1600 x 1200 (Secondary Video Call camera)
Flash Yes
Night Mode Yes
Extra Features
Photo Format
Video Yes
Video Format 320 x 240 pixels

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Sharp Disney DM002SH


The Sharp Disney DM002SH is the phone that make "your dream come true", especially for kids who love Disney characters. The targeting customers of the Sharp Disney DM002SH are women in early twenties and thirties. The Disney DM002SH phone will comes in clear crystal, brown topaz, and pink diamond color. Features of this Disney phone includes built-in One-Seg TV tuner that allows user to watch high-def TV programs on its beautiful 2.6-inch ASV screen, a 2.0-megapixel digital camera, and microSD memory expansion slot.
Hardware Specifications
3G Network Yes
Design Clamshell
Smartphone No
Internal Memory 50 MB
Weight 3.92 oz / 111.1 g
Dimension 4" x 1.93" x 0.64"
10.16 cm x 4.9 cm x 1.63 cm
Internal Display Screen 2.6-inch QVGA Mobile ASV (240 x 400 pixels)
Touchscreen No
External Display Screen 0.5-inch OLED screen (60 x 32 pixels)
Battery Life Talk: 3.7 hours
Standby: 300 hours (12.5 days)
QWERTY Keyboard No
Speakerphone Yes
Expandable Memory Slot Yes. microSD. Supports Up to 2GB
Email, Messaging, and Office Functionalities
Email Yes
SMS Yes
EMS Yes
MMS Yes
Internet Browsing / WAP Yes
Phone Book
Multiple Numbers Per Contact Yes
Picture ID Yes
Ring ID Yes
Digital Camera

How good is the camera take pictures? Upload and share your pictures at Sharp Disney DM002SH Users Group
Mega Pixel 2.0
Maximum Resolution 1600 x 1200 pixels
Music and Audio
MP3 Music Player Yes
Playlist Yes
Shuffle Yes
Video and Camcorder
Video Player Yes
Video Recorder Yes
Streaming Video Yes
Live TV Yes
Connectivity
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP) Yes
Infrared Yes
USB Yes
Computer Synchronization Yes

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Sharp Disney DM002SH


The Sharp Disney DM002SH is the phone that make "your dream come true", especially for kids who love Disney characters. The targeting customers of the Sharp Disney DM002SH are women in early twenties and thirties. The Disney DM002SH phone will comes in clear crystal, brown topaz, and pink diamond color. Features of this Disney phone includes built-in One-Seg TV tuner that allows user to watch high-def TV programs on its beautiful 2.6-inch ASV screen, a 2.0-megapixel digital camera, and microSD memory expansion slot.
Hardware Specifications
3G Network Yes
Design Clamshell
Smartphone No
Internal Memory 50 MB
Weight 3.92 oz / 111.1 g
Dimension 4" x 1.93" x 0.64"
10.16 cm x 4.9 cm x 1.63 cm
Internal Display Screen 2.6-inch QVGA Mobile ASV (240 x 400 pixels)
Touchscreen No
External Display Screen 0.5-inch OLED screen (60 x 32 pixels)
Battery Life Talk: 3.7 hours
Standby: 300 hours (12.5 days)
QWERTY Keyboard No
Speakerphone Yes
Expandable Memory Slot Yes. microSD. Supports Up to 2GB
Email, Messaging, and Office Functionalities
Email Yes
SMS Yes
EMS Yes
MMS Yes
Internet Browsing / WAP Yes
Phone Book
Multiple Numbers Per Contact Yes
Picture ID Yes
Ring ID Yes
Digital Camera

How good is the camera take pictures? Upload and share your pictures at Sharp Disney DM002SH Users Group
Mega Pixel 2.0
Maximum Resolution 1600 x 1200 pixels
Music and Audio
MP3 Music Player Yes
Playlist Yes
Shuffle Yes
Video and Camcorder
Video Player Yes
Video Recorder Yes
Streaming Video Yes
Live TV Yes
Connectivity
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP) Yes
Infrared Yes
USB Yes
Computer Synchronization Yes

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Sharp WILLCOM O3


The Sharp Willcom 03 is the very first cell phone that runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 in Japan. The eye-catching Willcom 03 phone comes in available in 3 colors - Pink, Gold or Lime. Its built-in features and specifications includes a 3-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen display, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, along with 256MB of flash memory, a microSD card slot for expansion, a built-in 2 megapixel camera, and a built-in MP3 music player (Windows Media Player). One of the best selling point of the Willcom 03 is its built-in 1Seg TV tuner that allows users to watch high-definition TV programs live.
Hardware Specifications
Data Network GPRS / EDGE / UMTS 850 MHz / UMTS 2100 MHz / HSDPA 1.8 Mbit/s / HSDPA 3.6 Mbit/s / HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s / HSUPA
3G Network Yes
Design Slider
Smartphone Yes
Operating System Windows Mobile for Smartphones 6.1 Standard
ROM 256 MB
Internal Display Screen 3.0-inch WVGA Touchscreen (800 x 480 pixels)
Touchscreen Yes
External Display Screen No
QWERTY Keyboard Yes
Speakerphone Yes
Expandable Memory Slot Yes
GPS System / GPS Navigation Yes
Email, Messaging, and Office Functionalities
Email Yes
SMS Yes
EMS Yes
MMS Yes
Internet Browsing / WAP Yes. Internet Explorer Mobile
PIM Alarm, Calendar, Calculator, TO-DO, Notes
Phone Book
Multiple Numbers Per Contact Yes
Picture ID Yes
Ring ID Yes
Digital Camera

How good is the camera take pictures? Upload and share your pictures at Sharp WILLCOM O3 Users Group
Mega Pixel 2.0
Music and Audio
MP3 Music Player Yes. Windows Media Player. Supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV Music Files
Playlist Yes
Shuffle Yes
Video and Camcorder
Video Player Yes
Video Recorder Yes
Streaming Video Yes
Live TV Yes
Video Calling Yes
Connectivity
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP) Yes
Wi-Fi (WLAN) Yes
USB Yes
Computer Synchronization Yes

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Sharp WILLCOM O3


The Sharp Willcom 03 is the very first cell phone that runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 in Japan. The eye-catching Willcom 03 phone comes in available in 3 colors - Pink, Gold or Lime. Its built-in features and specifications includes a 3-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen display, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, along with 256MB of flash memory, a microSD card slot for expansion, a built-in 2 megapixel camera, and a built-in MP3 music player (Windows Media Player). One of the best selling point of the Willcom 03 is its built-in 1Seg TV tuner that allows users to watch high-definition TV programs live.
Hardware Specifications
Data Network GPRS / EDGE / UMTS 850 MHz / UMTS 2100 MHz / HSDPA 1.8 Mbit/s / HSDPA 3.6 Mbit/s / HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s / HSUPA
3G Network Yes
Design Slider
Smartphone Yes
Operating System Windows Mobile for Smartphones 6.1 Standard
ROM 256 MB
Internal Display Screen 3.0-inch WVGA Touchscreen (800 x 480 pixels)
Touchscreen Yes
External Display Screen No
QWERTY Keyboard Yes
Speakerphone Yes
Expandable Memory Slot Yes
GPS System / GPS Navigation Yes
Email, Messaging, and Office Functionalities
Email Yes
SMS Yes
EMS Yes
MMS Yes
Internet Browsing / WAP Yes. Internet Explorer Mobile
PIM Alarm, Calendar, Calculator, TO-DO, Notes
Phone Book
Multiple Numbers Per Contact Yes
Picture ID Yes
Ring ID Yes
Digital Camera

How good is the camera take pictures? Upload and share your pictures at Sharp WILLCOM O3 Users Group
Mega Pixel 2.0
Music and Audio
MP3 Music Player Yes. Windows Media Player. Supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV Music Files
Playlist Yes
Shuffle Yes
Video and Camcorder
Video Player Yes
Video Recorder Yes
Streaming Video Yes
Live TV Yes
Video Calling Yes
Connectivity
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP) Yes
Wi-Fi (WLAN) Yes
USB Yes
Computer Synchronization Yes

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Sharp GX 10


The Sharp GX10 mobile phone was one of the first camera phones and includes an integrated digital camera with 110,000 pixels, digital zoom and storage for up to 80 pictures. Whilst the GX1 features a high quality TFT display, it suffers from having a poor quality camera and no easy way of transferring pictures from the phone to a PC. It is also an unreliable phone. Also consider the newer Sharp GX10i which has triband capability and improved camera functions.

Features of the Sharp GX10 include:


* WAP, GPRS
* 16 voice polyphonic ringtones, ringtone composer
* High resolution colour display (120 x 160 pixels, 65,536 colours) plus external display
* MMS
* Downloadable Java™ applications
* Enhanced animation
* Wallpaper
* Caller identification (on external display)
* Built-in infra-red modem
* Predictive text input
* Clock, calendar, games
* Size: 94 x 49 x 27 mm
* Weight: 110g
* Battery standby: up to 250 hours
* Battery talktime: up to 3.5 hours
* Vibration alert
* Dual band

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Sharp GX 10


The Sharp GX10 mobile phone was one of the first camera phones and includes an integrated digital camera with 110,000 pixels, digital zoom and storage for up to 80 pictures. Whilst the GX1 features a high quality TFT display, it suffers from having a poor quality camera and no easy way of transferring pictures from the phone to a PC. It is also an unreliable phone. Also consider the newer Sharp GX10i which has triband capability and improved camera functions.

Features of the Sharp GX10 include:


* WAP, GPRS
* 16 voice polyphonic ringtones, ringtone composer
* High resolution colour display (120 x 160 pixels, 65,536 colours) plus external display
* MMS
* Downloadable Java™ applications
* Enhanced animation
* Wallpaper
* Caller identification (on external display)
* Built-in infra-red modem
* Predictive text input
* Clock, calendar, games
* Size: 94 x 49 x 27 mm
* Weight: 110g
* Battery standby: up to 250 hours
* Battery talktime: up to 3.5 hours
* Vibration alert
* Dual band

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Sharp GX1


The Sharp GX1 mobile phone was one of the first camera phones and includes an integrated digital camera with 110,000 pixels, digital zoom and storage for up to 80 pictures. Whilst the GX1 features a high quality TFT display, it suffers from having a poor quality camera and no easy way of transferring pictures from the phone to a PC. It is also an unreliable phone. Also consider the Sharp GX10 which has all the features of the GX1, but with the addition of downloadable Java™ applications, and in a flip design, instead of the GX1's straight design.

Features of the Sharp GX1 include:


* WAP, GPRS
* 16 voice polyphonic ringtones, ringtone composer
* High resolution colour display (120 x 160 pixels, 65,536 colours)
* MMS
* Enhanced animation
* Wallpaper
* Caller identification
* Built-in infra-red modem
* Predictive text input
* Clock, calendar, games
* Size: 133 x 46 x 23 mm
* Weight: 110g
* Battery standby: 55 - 260 hours
* Battery talktime: 2.5 - 4.5 hours
* Vibration alert
* Dual band

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Sharp GX1


The Sharp GX1 mobile phone was one of the first camera phones and includes an integrated digital camera with 110,000 pixels, digital zoom and storage for up to 80 pictures. Whilst the GX1 features a high quality TFT display, it suffers from having a poor quality camera and no easy way of transferring pictures from the phone to a PC. It is also an unreliable phone. Also consider the Sharp GX10 which has all the features of the GX1, but with the addition of downloadable Java™ applications, and in a flip design, instead of the GX1's straight design.

Features of the Sharp GX1 include:


* WAP, GPRS
* 16 voice polyphonic ringtones, ringtone composer
* High resolution colour display (120 x 160 pixels, 65,536 colours)
* MMS
* Enhanced animation
* Wallpaper
* Caller identification
* Built-in infra-red modem
* Predictive text input
* Clock, calendar, games
* Size: 133 x 46 x 23 mm
* Weight: 110g
* Battery standby: 55 - 260 hours
* Battery talktime: 2.5 - 4.5 hours
* Vibration alert
* Dual band

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Sharp Sidekick iD


The Sharp Sidekick iD is a great little mobile phone gadgets that’s offers a lot but it does has its dark sides, the upsides is that they are very affordable and they have interchangeable bumpers plus with its own email account, web browser and instant messages makes it a true favourite for a lot of people but the downsides is that the Side kick ID has NO camera and they are slow for surfing on the net because it does not have the EDGE speed.
Sharp Sidekick iD Specifications –
• GSM 850 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
• Built in Antenna
• Color TFT/TFD 65,536 (16-bit) - 240 x 160 pixels Display
• 64 MB Built in Memory
• Flashlight
• Alerts
• 2000 Entry Phone Book Capacity
• FCC Approved
• Polyphonic Ringtones
• Vibrate
• PC Sync - optional Intellisync download
• Multiple Number Inputs per Name
• Ringer ID/Picture ID
• Changeable Bumpers Back & Sides
• Flight Mode
• GPRS
• WAP - Web Browser
• Side Keys
• QWERTY Keyboard
• Predictive Text/ AutoText word completion
• POP, IMAP4 Email Client

• Text Messaging with Text Messaging Templates
• Calendar, To-Do List & Games
• Java (J2ME) - CLDC 1.1, MIDP 2.0
• 2.5 mm mono Headset Jack
• Speaker Phone
• 144 hours Standby
• 5.58 hours Talk Time
• 130 x 61 x 22 mm
• 179 grams

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Sharp Sidekick iD


The Sharp Sidekick iD is a great little mobile phone gadgets that’s offers a lot but it does has its dark sides, the upsides is that they are very affordable and they have interchangeable bumpers plus with its own email account, web browser and instant messages makes it a true favourite for a lot of people but the downsides is that the Side kick ID has NO camera and they are slow for surfing on the net because it does not have the EDGE speed.
Sharp Sidekick iD Specifications –
• GSM 850 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
• Built in Antenna
• Color TFT/TFD 65,536 (16-bit) - 240 x 160 pixels Display
• 64 MB Built in Memory
• Flashlight
• Alerts
• 2000 Entry Phone Book Capacity
• FCC Approved
• Polyphonic Ringtones
• Vibrate
• PC Sync - optional Intellisync download
• Multiple Number Inputs per Name
• Ringer ID/Picture ID
• Changeable Bumpers Back & Sides
• Flight Mode
• GPRS
• WAP - Web Browser
• Side Keys
• QWERTY Keyboard
• Predictive Text/ AutoText word completion
• POP, IMAP4 Email Client

• Text Messaging with Text Messaging Templates
• Calendar, To-Do List & Games
• Java (J2ME) - CLDC 1.1, MIDP 2.0
• 2.5 mm mono Headset Jack
• Speaker Phone
• 144 hours Standby
• 5.58 hours Talk Time
• 130 x 61 x 22 mm
• 179 grams

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Sharp GX29


Sharp are not like the big boys you know like LG, Samsung, Nokia and so forth but must say this is not really bad at all, not our cup of tea but then again you may like coffee. The Sharp GX29 mobile phone is a flip phone that looks ok really. The GX29 has a 1.9 inch TFT LCD, it has a VGA size built in camera (480×640 pixels) where you can edit and manipulate pictures plus you can adjust the magnification with the 1X, 2X, and 4X digital zoom functions. There is also a built in video to record video clips with audio up to 95KB (ah ah that’s big NOT).
Other Sharp GX29 Mobile Phone Features –
• MMS
• Email (POP3) Access
• Java™ MIDP2.0+VSCL1.1*1 Compatibility
• Bluetooth and USB compatible
• Talk Time up to 210 minutes
• Standby time up to 250 hours
• Personalize your phone with WAP site downloads

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Sharp GX29


Sharp are not like the big boys you know like LG, Samsung, Nokia and so forth but must say this is not really bad at all, not our cup of tea but then again you may like coffee. The Sharp GX29 mobile phone is a flip phone that looks ok really. The GX29 has a 1.9 inch TFT LCD, it has a VGA size built in camera (480×640 pixels) where you can edit and manipulate pictures plus you can adjust the magnification with the 1X, 2X, and 4X digital zoom functions. There is also a built in video to record video clips with audio up to 95KB (ah ah that’s big NOT).
Other Sharp GX29 Mobile Phone Features –
• MMS
• Email (POP3) Access
• Java™ MIDP2.0+VSCL1.1*1 Compatibility
• Bluetooth and USB compatible
• Talk Time up to 210 minutes
• Standby time up to 250 hours
• Personalize your phone with WAP site downloads

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Sharp's SX862


The SX862 looks like just another flip phone, but a lot bigger than those from European manufacturers, measuring 50mm x 110.6mm x 18mm (2.0" x 4.4" x .7"). The whole device is constructed with hard lines, and the design is quite minimalistic. There' a step at the front which forms part of the Cycloid screen mechanism. Directly below the step is a small external display, and further down you'll find an LED event indicator. The device's loudspeaker is mounted behind a slit on the hinge, so that it's easier for you to hear when watching videos. The power and USB port is found on the bottom of the phone, with the infrared port and flat-type handsfree jack on the left side of the device. This leaves the volume keys, microSD slot, and shutter button on the right. Upon turning over the phone, you will find the device's camera lens and flash.
Unlike the 920SH, the SX862 is completely covered with glossy aluminum-plastic, with the exception of the camera module's textured surround. The device easily attracts fingerprints, but luckily is reasonably scratch resistant. With its excellent build quality and a weight of 120g, the SX862 doesn't feel like a toy, especially when you flip it open - the mechanism is very solid. Compared to Nokia flip phones, the opening angle of this phone is a lot wider. When you flip open the SX862, you'll find a resting point at approximately 110 degrees, before opening completely to 160 degrees. That resting point is used for watching movies with the device on a table.

Thanks to Sharp's new mobile-ASV technology and anti-gloss surface, the 3.2" screen's color reproduction is magnificent, even under sunlight. Compared to Nokia N-series devices, photos on the SX862 look fantastic, with very natural colors. This is probably due to the display's 6-color filter, compared to the conventional 3-color filter. Putting size and color aside, the resolution is also the highest in the industry at 480 x 854 pixels. This is even higher than that of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. This extra resolution is really appreciated when browsing full HTML sites and watching DVD-quality movies.

In view of the increasing demand for multimedia content, Sharp has included their Cycloid screen mechanism to allow users rotate their screens to landscape. The Cycloid mechanism is different from those found on rival devices, which simply rotate the screen on one pivot. Sharp has created a more complex double-axes arc for their screen to glide. The end result is a perfectly centered widescreen that looks like a mobile TV, with moving parts feeling very smooth and sturdy. In short, the screen on the SX862 is jaw-dropping, probably a year ahead of non-Japanese phone manufacturers.

As expected from Japanese cellphones, the keypad is large and comfortable. The d-pad could be a stretch if you have small fingers, but the spacing and tactile feedback are just right. The keys don't get slippery even after prolonged typing, and the metallic finishing over the d-pad is definitely welcomed. The backlight is a subtle and comfortable lilac color that should please most people, but the d-pad could do with being better lit.

All in all there is little wrong with the SX862's design, you just have to settle with the size if you want a screen this large. The only disappointment to be found is the plasticky finish. Multimedia / Applications

When it comes to the camera, the SX862 looks good on paper, featuring a 3.2MP CMOS with autofocus. In real life, the performance is disappointing, especially when compared to the older Sharp 903. In order to make the device thinner and cheaper, the sensor has been switched from CCD to CMOS, and the optical zoom has been removed. Unfortunately, the indoor color performance is rather poor, and the autofocus is not particularly reliable either. Users can still set their white balance and even select manual focus, but these don't really help. The only appreciable upgrade from the Sharp 903 is the VGA video recording at 30fps, with the resulting videos looking very attractive on the FWVGA screen. Outdoor camera performance on a sunny day is good, but phones at half the price can achieve the same thing.Having said that, the camera interface is markedly improved from the Sharp 903. By calling up the camera options menu, you are presented with a 3x4 grid, laid over the live viewfinder. In the boxes you'll find some easily recognizable icons that correspond to your 3x4 number keypad. Common camera options from exposure to scene modes can all be set here. Each key on the keypad is assigned a shortcut to a specific camera function, allowing options to be changed quickly. Rotating the screen to the landscape position will switch the picture size to 480x854 automatically, which is the resolution for wallpaper. All the icons and menu will be appropriately rotated, and the transition takes less than a second. The camera takes about 1.5 seconds to focus, and another 2 seconds to save a full 3MP picture - quite snappy for a phone.

Although the camera hardware is disappointing, the software is very well implemented. This is also true when it comes to the picture editor. Just like its competitors, the Sharp SX862 is capable of re-touching your photos. You can adjust the brightness, sharpness, and color hue, plus add text, stamps and frames. Pictures can be saved in their original resolution, then cut down to the preset resolutions for caller-ID and wallpaper. To make better use of the large screen, the SX862 allows users to preview the changes they make in a separate column, presenting you with before and after shots. This is excellent for both beginners who are not too familiar with the software, and more advanced users who are skeptical about in-phone picture processing.

The gallery can be viewed in grid, list, or 'display preview' arrangements. There are no fancy animations, but it does the job well. Files can be moved and organized into subfolders easily from the pop-up menu. Thumbnails take half a second to load, but you can always jump into the picture before the thumbnails finish loading.

The video player on SX862 can read H.264, MP4, 3GP, and ASF files. It is best to encode your videos in H.264 if you want it to be smooth at maximal resolution. SmarTone-Vodafone has opened a designated portal for users to download VGA-sized videos on a PC, and transfer them to the device with DRM protection. You can also stream the usual live channels via UMTS, and enlarge QVGA videos to full screen. A nice feature of the video player is that the top status bar can still be called up, so you can keep track of the time, the presence of incoming messages, and the battery life. Under the options menu, you can jump to a specific point in the movie by keying in the exact minute you want to fast-forward to. Unfortunately the loudspeaker volume isn't great, and the sound distorts if you turn it up fully. The SX862 can play MP3, AAC, AAC+ and eAAC+ formats. Yamaha Sound Tuning technology is included, and the sound quality with headphones is good. The music player can also be minimized whilst in use, and files can be sorted by artist or album. Playlists can be created too, and if the wired headset doesn't satisfy you, then Bluetooth A2DP is present to allow wireless stereo listening. To make best use of its HSDPA capabilities, the SX862 is pre-installed with Access Netfront browser that is capable of rendering full HTML sites as they are on your computer. Bookmarks and tabbed-browsing are also supported. But what really surprised us was that the full version of Youtube can be viewed. We aren't talking about the watered-down mobile version with a pitiful selection of content, but every single video available on YouTube, watchable fullscreen.

As you would imagine, the FWVGA screen gives a more detailed picture than the usual QVGA screens on the market. Pages can be zoomed in and out of with the help of shortcut buttons assigned to the keypad, and a cursor can be turned on to aid browsing. If a section of text is too small, you can enlarge the area to aid readability. There seems to be sufficient computing power in the SX862, as panning around the page and switching between tabs is reasonably fast. Despite the claim of full HTML support and various page rendering technology, not all pages can be loaded perfectly, especially when the page contains multiple frames and dHTML script. Most animated banners can be shown, thanks to FLASH script support. In a nutshell, the Netfront browser is more than good enough for emergency browsing.

In terms of PIM applications, the SX862 contains pretty much everything you need. You'll find the usual items such as calendar, schedule, to-do list, text memo, expense memo, calculator, stop watch, countdown timer, and voice recorder. Within the world clock, you can set the time of a second city to show in an extra line on the standby screen, and even on the external display. The included flashlight function makes use of the camera LED, simply hold the shutter key when the phone is closed and it'll light up.

A Picsel document viewer is built-in so that you can read Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Adobe PDF files on the device. The maximum file size supported is a whopping 10MB - quite impressive for a non-smartphone. The SX862 also comes with an interesting feature called the 'Remote Monitor'. Basically it sets your phone to answer video calls automatically, so, for example, you could monitor what's happening in your house with the external camera. Of course, you would need good lighting and 3G coverage, but nonetheless it's a cool feature.

SmarTone-Vodafone has started to sell a number of JAVA games that make use of the high resolution landscape screen, and they look really good. The built-in 50MB of memory should be enough for these, but you can still expand the memory with microSD cards up to 2GB. Unfortunately microSDHC is not supported. If you only want to use the non-phone functions on a plane, an offline mode is available. In terms of multimedia the SX862 is a winner, with a great browser and various other applications that make good use of the high resolution screen and extra computing power. However, the color algorithm in the camera isn't great, so we really hope this will be addressed by future firmware updates.

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Sharp's SX862


The SX862 looks like just another flip phone, but a lot bigger than those from European manufacturers, measuring 50mm x 110.6mm x 18mm (2.0" x 4.4" x .7"). The whole device is constructed with hard lines, and the design is quite minimalistic. There' a step at the front which forms part of the Cycloid screen mechanism. Directly below the step is a small external display, and further down you'll find an LED event indicator. The device's loudspeaker is mounted behind a slit on the hinge, so that it's easier for you to hear when watching videos. The power and USB port is found on the bottom of the phone, with the infrared port and flat-type handsfree jack on the left side of the device. This leaves the volume keys, microSD slot, and shutter button on the right. Upon turning over the phone, you will find the device's camera lens and flash.
Unlike the 920SH, the SX862 is completely covered with glossy aluminum-plastic, with the exception of the camera module's textured surround. The device easily attracts fingerprints, but luckily is reasonably scratch resistant. With its excellent build quality and a weight of 120g, the SX862 doesn't feel like a toy, especially when you flip it open - the mechanism is very solid. Compared to Nokia flip phones, the opening angle of this phone is a lot wider. When you flip open the SX862, you'll find a resting point at approximately 110 degrees, before opening completely to 160 degrees. That resting point is used for watching movies with the device on a table.

Thanks to Sharp's new mobile-ASV technology and anti-gloss surface, the 3.2" screen's color reproduction is magnificent, even under sunlight. Compared to Nokia N-series devices, photos on the SX862 look fantastic, with very natural colors. This is probably due to the display's 6-color filter, compared to the conventional 3-color filter. Putting size and color aside, the resolution is also the highest in the industry at 480 x 854 pixels. This is even higher than that of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. This extra resolution is really appreciated when browsing full HTML sites and watching DVD-quality movies.

In view of the increasing demand for multimedia content, Sharp has included their Cycloid screen mechanism to allow users rotate their screens to landscape. The Cycloid mechanism is different from those found on rival devices, which simply rotate the screen on one pivot. Sharp has created a more complex double-axes arc for their screen to glide. The end result is a perfectly centered widescreen that looks like a mobile TV, with moving parts feeling very smooth and sturdy. In short, the screen on the SX862 is jaw-dropping, probably a year ahead of non-Japanese phone manufacturers.

As expected from Japanese cellphones, the keypad is large and comfortable. The d-pad could be a stretch if you have small fingers, but the spacing and tactile feedback are just right. The keys don't get slippery even after prolonged typing, and the metallic finishing over the d-pad is definitely welcomed. The backlight is a subtle and comfortable lilac color that should please most people, but the d-pad could do with being better lit.

All in all there is little wrong with the SX862's design, you just have to settle with the size if you want a screen this large. The only disappointment to be found is the plasticky finish. Multimedia / Applications

When it comes to the camera, the SX862 looks good on paper, featuring a 3.2MP CMOS with autofocus. In real life, the performance is disappointing, especially when compared to the older Sharp 903. In order to make the device thinner and cheaper, the sensor has been switched from CCD to CMOS, and the optical zoom has been removed. Unfortunately, the indoor color performance is rather poor, and the autofocus is not particularly reliable either. Users can still set their white balance and even select manual focus, but these don't really help. The only appreciable upgrade from the Sharp 903 is the VGA video recording at 30fps, with the resulting videos looking very attractive on the FWVGA screen. Outdoor camera performance on a sunny day is good, but phones at half the price can achieve the same thing.Having said that, the camera interface is markedly improved from the Sharp 903. By calling up the camera options menu, you are presented with a 3x4 grid, laid over the live viewfinder. In the boxes you'll find some easily recognizable icons that correspond to your 3x4 number keypad. Common camera options from exposure to scene modes can all be set here. Each key on the keypad is assigned a shortcut to a specific camera function, allowing options to be changed quickly. Rotating the screen to the landscape position will switch the picture size to 480x854 automatically, which is the resolution for wallpaper. All the icons and menu will be appropriately rotated, and the transition takes less than a second. The camera takes about 1.5 seconds to focus, and another 2 seconds to save a full 3MP picture - quite snappy for a phone.

Although the camera hardware is disappointing, the software is very well implemented. This is also true when it comes to the picture editor. Just like its competitors, the Sharp SX862 is capable of re-touching your photos. You can adjust the brightness, sharpness, and color hue, plus add text, stamps and frames. Pictures can be saved in their original resolution, then cut down to the preset resolutions for caller-ID and wallpaper. To make better use of the large screen, the SX862 allows users to preview the changes they make in a separate column, presenting you with before and after shots. This is excellent for both beginners who are not too familiar with the software, and more advanced users who are skeptical about in-phone picture processing.

The gallery can be viewed in grid, list, or 'display preview' arrangements. There are no fancy animations, but it does the job well. Files can be moved and organized into subfolders easily from the pop-up menu. Thumbnails take half a second to load, but you can always jump into the picture before the thumbnails finish loading.

The video player on SX862 can read H.264, MP4, 3GP, and ASF files. It is best to encode your videos in H.264 if you want it to be smooth at maximal resolution. SmarTone-Vodafone has opened a designated portal for users to download VGA-sized videos on a PC, and transfer them to the device with DRM protection. You can also stream the usual live channels via UMTS, and enlarge QVGA videos to full screen. A nice feature of the video player is that the top status bar can still be called up, so you can keep track of the time, the presence of incoming messages, and the battery life. Under the options menu, you can jump to a specific point in the movie by keying in the exact minute you want to fast-forward to. Unfortunately the loudspeaker volume isn't great, and the sound distorts if you turn it up fully. The SX862 can play MP3, AAC, AAC+ and eAAC+ formats. Yamaha Sound Tuning technology is included, and the sound quality with headphones is good. The music player can also be minimized whilst in use, and files can be sorted by artist or album. Playlists can be created too, and if the wired headset doesn't satisfy you, then Bluetooth A2DP is present to allow wireless stereo listening. To make best use of its HSDPA capabilities, the SX862 is pre-installed with Access Netfront browser that is capable of rendering full HTML sites as they are on your computer. Bookmarks and tabbed-browsing are also supported. But what really surprised us was that the full version of Youtube can be viewed. We aren't talking about the watered-down mobile version with a pitiful selection of content, but every single video available on YouTube, watchable fullscreen.

As you would imagine, the FWVGA screen gives a more detailed picture than the usual QVGA screens on the market. Pages can be zoomed in and out of with the help of shortcut buttons assigned to the keypad, and a cursor can be turned on to aid browsing. If a section of text is too small, you can enlarge the area to aid readability. There seems to be sufficient computing power in the SX862, as panning around the page and switching between tabs is reasonably fast. Despite the claim of full HTML support and various page rendering technology, not all pages can be loaded perfectly, especially when the page contains multiple frames and dHTML script. Most animated banners can be shown, thanks to FLASH script support. In a nutshell, the Netfront browser is more than good enough for emergency browsing.

In terms of PIM applications, the SX862 contains pretty much everything you need. You'll find the usual items such as calendar, schedule, to-do list, text memo, expense memo, calculator, stop watch, countdown timer, and voice recorder. Within the world clock, you can set the time of a second city to show in an extra line on the standby screen, and even on the external display. The included flashlight function makes use of the camera LED, simply hold the shutter key when the phone is closed and it'll light up.

A Picsel document viewer is built-in so that you can read Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Adobe PDF files on the device. The maximum file size supported is a whopping 10MB - quite impressive for a non-smartphone. The SX862 also comes with an interesting feature called the 'Remote Monitor'. Basically it sets your phone to answer video calls automatically, so, for example, you could monitor what's happening in your house with the external camera. Of course, you would need good lighting and 3G coverage, but nonetheless it's a cool feature.

SmarTone-Vodafone has started to sell a number of JAVA games that make use of the high resolution landscape screen, and they look really good. The built-in 50MB of memory should be enough for these, but you can still expand the memory with microSD cards up to 2GB. Unfortunately microSDHC is not supported. If you only want to use the non-phone functions on a plane, an offline mode is available. In terms of multimedia the SX862 is a winner, with a great browser and various other applications that make good use of the high resolution screen and extra computing power. However, the color algorithm in the camera isn't great, so we really hope this will be addressed by future firmware updates.

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Sharp 880SH


It has been a while since Japanese manufacturer Sharp produced a mobile phone, so when the Sharp 880SH arrived on our desk we were unsure what to expect. Despite being readily available on Vodafone in other European countries, Vodafone UK is yet to commit. The smart money is on Vodafone snapping up the device sooner or later. Besides, Sharp phones (as well as David Beckham ads) helped to launch Vodafone’s Live! internet portal five or six years ago, so there’s history between these two.



The Sharp 880SH is a slider phone with a jet-black glossy body with metallic trimming and, at first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you were looking at a Nokia or Samsung.



The first test with all slider phones is to see how secure it feels. While the sliding mechanism on the 880SH provides a satisfying clunk as you move it back and forth, we’re sad to say that the top half of the handset feels a little flimsy. Glossy handsets which attract grubby fingerprints are a pet hate of ours. Unfortunately, the 880SH is one of the worst offenders. Both the screen and fascia are a smudge haven and when we tried to wipe the handset clean we simply made the problem worse.



That said, there’s a lot that’s good about the 880SH. Although it’s a tad on the chunky side, Sharp has managed to cram in a generous 2.2-inch screen that’s a real blessing when accessing the internet or viewing videos. Beneath the screen there is an array of buttons – two soft keys, a navigation pad complete with a central key, call and reject buttons, as well as a useful multimedia key. Press this button when in idle mode and you’ll be taken to a list of all your multimedia functions, including the music player, FM radio, Mobile TV and Radio DJ.



Frustratingly, when using the FM radio no other applications can be used, so if you want to use the camera, for example, you have to switch off the radio first. Also, the radio won’t play when the battery is low, and we found we received some static when we played the radio while charging the handset.
Sharp 880SH – Radio DJ

The 880SH comes with subscription-based services Mobile TV and Radio DJ. The cost of each depends on the package you choose and both are dependent on service provider.



As with most things, the more you pay, the more you get. While Mobile TV allows you to access live TV from Sky Sports to news channels, Radio DJ allows you to stream music to your handset over the internet, and gives you the option to buy the music afterwards. The neat idea is that you rate the tracks you hear, and soon only tracks that suit your personal music tastes will be streamed to your device. It’s a great idea in theory, although it may take some time for you to be completely happy with the music streamed to your phone. In the short time we had the phone, 50% of what we were receiving we can only describe as complete tosh.


Sharp 880SH – speedy internet

With built-in HSDPA, the Sharp 880SH is no slouch when it comes to browsing the web. In the corner of the screen is a small icon indicating what speed of internet browsing is available. When you’re operating on 3G speed, this icon will display in the corner, and when you’re cruising along with HSDPA the 3G+ icon will display. It’s a thoughtful touch from Sharp and proves useful when you’re wondering why it’s taking longer to check the football scores than it did earlier in the day.



Being a Vodafone-exclusive handset, users have access to the operator’s Live! web portal which supports the likes of eBay and Google Maps. However, we found scrolling through webpages proved a juddery experience.


Sharp 880SH – stay organised

Sharp has crammed a host of various PIM tools into the 880SH, which can be found under the Organiser and Utilities section of the menu. All the usual suspects are present − calendar, calculator, and to do list. There’s also a useful expenses memo that allows you to record and categorise where your pennies are going. It’s neatly laid out and easy to use although, if you lost your phone and that was the only record you had, you may find yourself in trouble with the old taxman. The voice recorder is another welcome addition, capturing crisp, clear sound. However, we did find that the handset picked up a large amount of background noise.



Useful for a spot of espionage perhaps, not so if you’re trying to hold an interview in a busy environment.



The 880SH is fitted with both an external and front-facing camera for video calling. The external two-megapixel camera is nothing more than average, and the quality of the front-facing camera was wholly disappointing. We found the image to be blurred even when the object we were photographing was stationary. The video camera also proved to be lacking. Presented with three recording modes; normal, fine and super-fine, the latter, while decent enough quality, only allows a maximum of 30 seconds of recording time, while normal mode is a little better at 60 seconds.


Sharp 880SH - the verdict

The Sharp 880SH is something of an enigma. It doesn’t seem to know what it is. From afar, the handset looks like it would appeal to the fashion conscious. However, on closer inspection, it’s just too heavy to compete with the Armani and Prada phones of this world. And the grubby smudge marks don’t help either.



Likewise, while the 880SH’s HSDPA capabilities and features such as Google Maps and Radio DJ means it borders on joining the high-end brigade, the disappointing two-megapixel camera means it ultimately falls short.



As a result, although competent, it’s difficult to see who would buy this phone, particularly as Sharp is not considered one of the bigger players.
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Specifications
Type of phone: Mobile phone
Style: Slider
Size: 101 x 47.8 x 15mm
Weight: 93g
Display: 262,000 colours
Resolution: 240x320
Camera: Two-megapixels
Special Camera features: N/A
Video recording: Yes
Video playback: Yes
Video calling: Yes
Video streaming: Yes
Music formats played: MP3, Polyphonic
3.5mm jack port: No
Ringtones: MP3, Polyphonic
Radio: Yes
Operating system: N/A
Connectivity: A2DP, Bluetooth, USB
Internal memory: 50MB
Memory Card Slot: microSD
Messaging: SMS, Email, IM, MMS
Internet Browser: WAP 2.0, HTML, XHTML
E-mail client: POP3, SMTP, IMAP4
GPS: No
Java: Yes
Games: Tetris (demo), Brain Genius (demo), Zuma (demo), Pac-Man (demo)
Data speed: HSDPA
Frequency: Tri-band
Talktime: 260 minutes
Standby: 320 hours
Display size: 2.2-inches
Keypad: Standard

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