Sharp has announced the Aquos R6 smartphone for the Japanese market - a flagship with only one functioning camera on the back, but one that comes with a huge 1” sensor. It is the biggest camera sensor put in a mobile phone ever, and it was developed jointly with Leica all the way from R&D through lens design to image quality adjustment.
The phone also comes with the world’s
first Pro IGZO OLED 6.67” screen that allows for a dynamic refresh rate between
1Hz and 240Hz for finding the perfect balance between power-saving and
smoothness. Resolution is WUXGA+, which means 2,730 x 1,260 pixels. The Sharp
Aquos R6 is powered by a Snapdragon 888 chipset. It will be offered with only
one memory option - 8GB RAM + 128GB of storage and only local carriers will get
to sell it at first.
The camera sensor allows for 20MP stills,
and Leica and Sharp have also redesigned the lens in front - it is 7P with an
f/1.9 aperture and the focal length equivalent of 19 mm. There’s also a ToF
sensor next to the main camera, a single flash; the only image stabilization
Sharp and Leica provided is electronic (EIS).
The massive sensor can do an outstanding
job in low light conditions according to the official press release. It should
offer better dynamic range and reduced noise compared to just about every other
smartphone sensor out there. The rest of the the Aquos R6 highlights include a
12MP selfie shooter as well as an under-display fingerprint scanner. The
battery is 5,000 mAh, and the Aquos R6 is waterproof and dustproof.
The phone is offered in two colors - Black
and White. It will be available for sale at Docomo and NTT in the middle of
June when we’ll learn the actual price of the phone.
