Sharp just announced a pro version of the Aquos R9, which was unveiled in May. And just like it, the new model will launch only in Japan at first (in December) before getting a wider release with availability for Taiwan, Indonesia and Singapore. The Sharp Aquos R9 pro has three 50.3MP cameras on its back and is dubbed the Vario-Summicron camera system, which was developed under the supervision of Leica.
The camera setup now includes a 65mm
telephoto lens (f/2.6), something that was missing from the vanilla R9. This
camera offers 2.8x optical magnification and can reach 20x digital zoom. It is
based on a fairly large 1/1.56” sensor with Dolby Vision support for recording
videos. The lens has Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). But if you want large,
the main 50.3MP camera has a massive 1/0.98” sensor inside. Yes, it’s larger
than the 1-inch type sensor we’ve seen in several flagships. This camera has a
23mm (86°) f/1.8 lens with OIS.
The third camera on the back is a 50.3MP
ultra wide camera with a 13mm lens (122°, f/2.2), which can also capture macro
images. Finally, there is a fourth 50.3MP on the front with a 23mm f/2.2 lens
(84°). One last thing to mention before we move on from the camera, there is a
physical shutter key on the side of the phone. You can long-press it to launch
the camera and use a half press to focus. The Sharp Aquos R9 pro is powered by
the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. That’s an odd decision by Sharp, considering this
phone isn’t cheap and that previous pro models have used the flagship
Snapdragon. At least the company didn’t skimp on the RAM and equipped the phone
with 12GB. There’s also 512GB of storage.
The chipset is helped by a vapor chamber
cooling system that brings the heat to the ring around the camera to dissipate
it. This camera ring can also hold accessories like ND or polarized filters for
the camera. On the front, the 6.7” QHD+ display (1,440 x 3,120px) is a Pro IGZO
OLED panel with a variable refresh rate from 1Hz all the way to 240Hz. There is
a Qualcomm ultrasonic fingerprint reader built into the display.
The phone is launching with Android 14 out
of the box. It will receive up to 3 OS updates and will get security patches
for a total of 5 years. The phone is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7 (be) and Bluetooth 5.4. It runs on a
5,000mAh battery, but we didn’t see any details on the charging speed. There’s
some AI built into the software. For example, it can transcribe voicemail and
show it as summarized texts. It can also listen to your phone calls and pick
out keywords, which will be added to your notes app.
The Sharp Aquos R9 pro is launching in
Japan with DoCoMo as the carrier partner, but its online store doesn’t list the
price just yet. The expected figure is JPY 190,000 (US$ 1,235). Sharp will
also be selling a snazzy case with a shoulder strap to carry the R9 pro like a
real camera. Sales in Japan are expected to start in early December 2024,
followed by a release of the global model in Taiwan, Indonesia, and Singapore.
