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Sharp outs Aquos mini SHL24 with the smallest 4.5" 1080p display, ultra compact EDGEST design

Sharp outs Aquos mini SHL24 with the smallest 4.5" 1080p display, ultra compact EDGEST design

Posted: 22 Jan 2014, 04:08, by Daniel P.

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Sharp outs Aquos mini SHL24 with the smallest 4.5" 1080p display, ultra compact EDGEST design

Sharp today outed the next in its line of marvelous phones and tablets with IGZO display tech, dubbed Aquos mini SHL24. The "mini" moniker stems not only from the fact that it sports a 4.5" 1080p display, but also because it features the so-called EDGEST design, basically a minimized bezel thickness from three sides - left, right, and top. This almost bezel-less design has brought on some record compact dimensions, with just 2.48" (63mm) of width and 4oz (115g) weight, making the phone perfect for one-handed operation. For comparison, the phone is as tall and almost as wide as an iPhone 5s with its 4" panel, weighing about the same.

Sharp didn't stop here, though, as it equipped the handset with a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage plus memory card, as well as a 13 MP camera with f/1.9 aperture on the back that does some low-light shenanigans. Naturally, the phone is also waterproof, as any self-respecting handset from Japan these days.

Aquos mini SHL24 sports 487ppi pixel density, that is just shy of the phone with the record ppi count - Vivo Xplay 3S - which, however, has an unwieldy 6" display. Sharp's phone is part of the new spring lineup of KDDI, which means it will be available some time in March in pink, blue, yellow green, and white.

source: KDDI via G4Games

48 Comments

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posted on 22 Jan 2014, 05:11 3

1. MarkArigayo (Posts: 240; Member since: 18 Dec 2013)

Its design looks so funny. Headless.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 05:37 8

4. _Bone_ (Posts: 2155; Member since: 29 Oct 2012)

There's no point of having a "head", but some bezel comes handy at the bottom cause that's where it sits in your palms. Design should always be functional not eye-friendly, and at this size it is.

http://buzzap.net/images/2014/01/22/au-2014-spring/P1070051_m.jpg

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 10:07 1

33. hurrycanger (Posts: 1624; Member since: 01 Dec 2013)

I'm not sure how functional it is to have the camera and sensor moved to the bottom. I see myself covering the bottom bezel often (which rarely happens with the top bezel). Having the camera at the bottom may be annoying to quite a few people, too.
Another important thing is gaming. This phone has high-end specs. It can games such as Asphalt 8, Dead Trigger 2, Nova 4, Batman something, etc. perfectly. Most of those intensive games are made for landscape mode. It would be totally terrible to play games on this phone. Even on the Nokia Lumia 521 (which has a bottom bezel about 50% bigger than the top bezel), gaming makes my two hands feel odd afterward. It won't be any better on this phone with such small bezel and large bottom bezel.

I personally think this phone's design is neither eye-friendly nor functional. It's just different.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 22:21

47. daka_x (Posts: 4; Member since: 22 Jan 2014)

You obviously have no idea how to hold a phone in landscape.

My device is a Motorola DROID RAZR HD, which has pretty thin top & bottom bezels that aren't even. In my experience, I don't need bezels for any reason when holding my phone in landscape and don't block my pitiful bezels whenever I do. How I do it is I support the bottom edge with my pinky fingers, the back with my third/fourth fingers, and the top edge with my pointers. If I need to adjust my thumb position and feel comfortable, I slide my fingers out a bit.

I think that "totally terrible" is a severe overstatement. At worse the offset of one bezel being smaller than the other may make the experience slightly more awkward on the Aquos mini... but you also have to remember that this really isn't a big phone. Compared to your Lumia 521, the bezels are smaller on all sides - including the bottom - because of the bigger screen, and the Aquos mini still manages to be smaller.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 22:42

48. hurrycanger (Posts: 1624; Member since: 01 Dec 2013)

It's not like I've only hold only 2 phones in landscape mode in my life, duh. Being uneven like the 521 is already odd. Even your RAZR HD isn't even that badly uneven. Now look again at the picture above.
And again, I'm complaining on how big the bottom is and how uneven that display is placed (along with the placement of sensors and camera). When I mentioned landscape mode in my comment, it was all about gaming.
You need to read more carefully next time, I guess.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 08:43

30. DOUBLE_BASS (Posts: 48; Member since: 18 Apr 2012)

I'd like if it was also bottomless.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 19:32

46. downphoenix (Posts: 3165; Member since: 19 Jun 2010)

See Apple, it can be done... bigger size screen without a bigger device. Take lessons.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 05:25 3

2. istitch (Posts: 181; Member since: 19 Mar 2013)

did sharp just kick sony's ass?
but then i still like z1 compact more..

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 05:52 1

9. Kuroki (Posts: 90; Member since: 24 Nov 2013)

why sony? lol

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 06:43 2

16. imMature (Posts: 87; Member since: 04 Sep 2013)

coz Sony just released the Z1 Compact which is a small form factor phone with high end specs. This Sharp phone has a 1080p IGZO display which has a higher PPI than the 720p of the Z1 Compact. Even though it's so much better in specs, I'd go with Sony for the community support on XDA.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 14:40

43. apple4never (Posts: 1064; Member since: 08 May 2013)

its identical exempt for the screen, and this is NOT waterproof and lacks the epic camera plus with 720p screen you get better frame rate because the gnu pushes less pixels the z1 compact wins in every aspect but bezels and pixel density

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 07:43

27. boosook (Posts: 1442; Member since: 19 Nov 2012)

Well, of course it's targeting the Z1 Compact... I guess that, since the current flagships are going above 5'' (this year will be 5.2''), there's a consistent market for "small" phones but with flagship specifications. We've crossed the line beyond which many people are not willing to go, and probably next year we'll see a plethora of "small" products with 4.3-4.5'' displays and high-end specs together with flagships with 5.2-5-5'' screens.
Anyway, the Z1 Compact IMO still looks better, and it has the 20MP camera, though this probably has a better screen and more or less the same size with a bigger screen.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 05:36

3. andhraking17 (Posts: 53; Member since: 06 Jul 2013)

where is the front facing camera, proximity sensor, brightness control sensor gone...?

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 07:08

22. muqtadir (Posts: 7; Member since: 17 Dec 2012)

its on the bottom

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 05:41

5. mr.techdude (Posts: 571; Member since: 19 Nov 2012)

HTC vortex and Nokia lumia had a baby and they got this piece of kit. Don't like it at all looks terrible but it shows us that this year is all about minimal bezels. And I'm a HUGE fan of slim bezels like the g2.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 05:42

6. emadshiny (Posts: 1144; Member since: 05 Dec 2012)

Kinda weird design.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 05:43 10

7. Duketytz (Posts: 534; Member since: 28 Nov 2013)

Sony vs Sharp, the battle of the Japanese manufacturers~ Looks like Japanese are back in the game

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 06:29 1

14. ArtSim98 (Posts: 3535; Member since: 21 Dec 2012)

I like Sony's design but Sharp's technology. I would like to see some camera samples from this Sharp.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 06:50

17. emadshiny (Posts: 1144; Member since: 05 Dec 2012)

Of course Sharp is nothing in comparison to Sony when it comes to camera.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 06:52 4

19. Miracles (Posts: 560; Member since: 31 Aug 2013)

If only Sony could work with Sharp on a smartphone...what I would give for that phone!!!

Or Sony could buy out Sharp's technology...just like how Samsung bought LG/Panasonic technology for their UHD TVs.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 07:04

20. Lyngdoh (Posts: 291; Member since: 06 Sep 2012)

That would be a Miracle!

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 10:13

36. SonyPS4 (Posts: 346; Member since: 21 May 2013)

Sadly most of them not interested to sell their phone outside Japan. Sharp, Fujitsu, Panasonic smartphone looks very nice. I dont understand why they didnt release their smartphone since their have presence in electronic device.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 13:30

42. Miracles (Posts: 560; Member since: 31 Aug 2013)

Too many Apples and Sams going around worldwide so I can understand why they don't wanna compete. They probably make decent money in Japan, though not too much cuz Apple is famous over there.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 05:47

8. joey_sfb (Posts: 6533; Member since: 29 Mar 2012)

Apple invested in Sharp hoping that Sharp would just stay put. Just be a good supplier and manufactured all the screen for their iPhone.

But that not what doing business is about. Any good business person or company would like to expand their business. Having their own successfully consumer product is a logical step.

Those phones do look good.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 06:10

12. Spikes9s (Posts: 52; Member since: 09 Aug 2013)

Correction SAMSUNG invested 110 million Dollars about 10 months ago!!! Get informed before posting and FYI a supplier do not ever have to stay put, they are not dogs or some kind of house pets!!! Sharp Corporation is been around for more than 1 Century unlike your precious company, so get your head out of the fruit arse and start spreading some love....

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 17:07

44. joey_sfb (Posts: 6533; Member since: 29 Mar 2012)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57572921-37/samsungs-investment-in-sharp-could-prick-apple/

You are right Apple 2 billions investment in Sharp is unconfirmed while Samsung investment is announced.

posted on 22 Jan 2014, 17:24

45. Spikes9s (Posts: 52; Member since: 09 Aug 2013)

Wrong again... that´s the bill/invoice Apple had to pay Sharp for all the panels they got from them, that is not investment...., is just parts for the phones and tablets. Investement means you put in maney for research & development, manufacturing upgrades and so on... you not get and invoice for that, just a prefernt treatment with future upcomming products... so again remember to connect your brains to your fingers before you post something...smh...