Now, you have probably been wondering why are we
following the leaks and rumors about one Sharp Aquos S2 that probably wouldn't
come to the US, but upon seeing the all-screen renders and the tips it will
feature an in-display finger scanner, it might have become palatable to wait on
it. Well, Sharp just announced the phone today, as speculated, yet the truth
turned out to be somewhere in the middle.
There are indeed two versions, differing in
processors (Snapdragon 630/660), RAM amount (4/6GB), and internal storage of
64/128GB. The third rumored variant, however, with 4K screen resolution, and
in-display finger scanner, didn't materialize, at least not in today's
announcement, although Sharp does have a 5.5" 4K IGZO panel with 806ppi to
lean on, if something like this is ever to be released.
In both Sharp Aquos S2 versions there is a
"tri-bezel" design, with side and top bezels shaved off to the
minimum, but at the bottom there is a regular size bezel area, and a more
orthodox elliptical finger scanner/home button there, albeit an impossibly thin
one. When we say shrunk to a minimum, Sharp has done exactly that, as the top
bezel only has a cutout for the front camera and barely anything else getting
in the way of the listed 87.5% screen-to-body ratio.
For comparison, the Galaxy S8, with its planed top
and bottom bezels, and its curved display sides, maxes out at 84%, though
something tells us that Sharp calculates the rounded edges as well. Since the
phone measures 141.8 x 72.04 x 7.9 mm, and weighs 140 grams, it is actually
lighter and more compact than the Galaxy S8, which also sports a 3D glass back
with tapered sides.
The rest of the specs are no less impressive for the
starting price of the Aquos S2 in China, where it will get launched at first.
We get a 5.5" IGZO panel with 1080x2040 resolution - that's 17:9 ratio, but if we discount the
notification bar, it's probably standard 16:9, which may be considered another
plus. There is also a vertical dual camera, like on those iPhone 8 renders, but
with 12MP/8MP sensor combo, and a hearty 3020 mAh batery, which, given the
frugal chipsets and IGZO display tech, could mean a pretty good battery life.
The release date in China is August 14, and the
asking $372 price is not bad at all for what the phone offers, but the
6GB/128GB version will cost you a good deal more - US$ 520 - and probably hit US$ 600+ if you try to import this thing. Still, given the design and the specs,
the Aquos S2 is one of the more interesting phones announced this year, ready
to take on the best of 2017, at least in its price range.
