That is the big news from the company today as it announced it will be bringing its line of Aquos-branded smartphones to markets outside of Japan, where it launched the phones earlier this year.
A total of three Sharp-branded phones were released in Japan, and all of them will be heading globally. At the time, it seemed like a long shot that Sharp would pull such a move, especially since the smartphone market is so fiercely competitive in places like the US and Europe.
Among the three Aquos phones is one that includes a 16-megapixel camera, and uses a clamshell design, making it quite a unique Android device. It is the only clamshell Android phone on the market, and with a 16-megapixel camera it is ahead of the competition.
The other two consist of one with an equally unusual small 3.7-inch display and one with a 4.2-inch display.
All have HDMI connectors, hence the 'Aquos' name, which Sharp uses in its high-end HDTVs.
Sharp has a much stronger brand recognition in Japan, so the move to bring products in a brand new product market for the company, to several global markets, seems quite gutsy. If it can pull it off, though, it would be a great addition to the oligopoly of smartphone makers that has developed in the US over the last few years.
