Monsters from Asia: the Fujitsu Arrows NX F-04G and the world's first iris scanner

While it's no secret that we're fans of Japanese Sharp's work when it comes to smartphones, another local vendor is also well worth our attention: Fujitsu. Indeed, its new Arrows NX F-04G is not only a decidedly flagship-level device, but also the first to hit the market with an embedded iris scanner. 

We were pretty impressed by a working prototype of the sensor back at MWC 2015 that we tested, and we can safely say that in terms of ease of use, it blows fingerprint scanners out of the water. In most cases, the sensor recognized it's us so fast that we barely had time to note that there's an actual process taking place. In the case of the F-04G, the sensor is mounted where you'd expect the selfie camera to sit: at the top bezel, which is the only part of the phone made out of aluminum.

As mentioned the NX F-04G is not a one trick pony, and Fujitsu has made sure that the rest of the specs sheet is up to snuff. It begins by highlighting a 5.2-inch, Quad HD (1440 x 2560) resolution display protected by Gorilla Glass 3, good for the whopping 565 pixels per inch for an ultra-crisp image. We then move onto an octa-core, 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with Adreno 430 graphics, along with 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage that you can expand upon with the use of a microSD card, and a hearty, 3,120 mAh battery. In terms of imaging, we're looking at a 20.7-megapaixel Sony Exmor sensor at the rear, along with a 2.4-megapixel selfie snapper up front. 

We're not finished with the Android Lollipop-toting new Arrows series flagship, however. Like any self-respecting Japanese handset, the NX F-04G is IP68-certified, meaning you can safely peruse whilst taking a bath. The device also flaunts LTE Advanced connectivity, quick charging, Bluetooth 4.1, 5GHz Wi-Fi, and support for MHL. For all of this, Fujitsu is asking for the equivalent of $750 full retail, so long as you're a local subscribed to DoCoMo.