aquos
Latest
Sharp's 8K satellite receiver is ready for broadcasts to start in Japan
As we learned during IFA last month, the 8K hype train is here whether we're ready or not. In Japan everything is timed to coincide with the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, and as such broadcaster NHK is planning to kick off hybrid 4K/8K broadcasts beginning December 1st. Assuming you have access to an 8K TV or projector, you'll need a box to actually catch and process the Super Hi-Vision video signal, and fortunately Sharp has one ready to connect to its 8K TV that has been on sale since 2017.
RED and Sharp team up on 8K monitor technology
Cinema camera company RED is working with Sharp on new 8K technology, according to Phil Holland, a cinematographer who works closely with RED. He has been testing an unreleased, prototype 70-inch 8K TV, and comparing it against a Sharp 4K model using 8K aerial footage he shot in LA. From seven feet away, "which is within the ideal viewing distance for a 70-inch screen based on THX's numbers," the difference is like "looking at a decent fine art print versus a really good one," he said.
Sharp's new 4K TVs include a set that acts like it's 8K
Now that 4K TVs are no longer a novelty, manufacturers are bending over backward to show you that their sets are somehow more 4K than everyone else's. Need proof? Just look at the flagship of Sharp's newly unveiled 2015 lineup, the 80-inch AQUOS Beyond 4K Ultra HD TV (yes, that's the name). Its signature Pixel Splitting trick both cuts pixels in half vertically and lets subpixels create their own color values, leading to a near-8K (7,680 x 4,320) effective picture. The boasts of extra resolution stretch credulity a bit -- you can't add detail that wasn't in the original picture, folks -- but you'll at least know that your TV isn't to blame for fuzzy imagery. As it stands, this ultimate set has a few down-to-earth upgrades over Sharp's previous efforts, including better upscaling and an improved LED backlight that widens the color range. The company hasn't nailed down pricing, but it'll reportedly be competitive with other high-end sets when the TV arrives late this year.
Engadget Daily: AQUOS Crystal review, the August smart lock and more!
What's that? A brand-new phone from Sharp? Yep, it's called the AQUOS Crystal and it looks good. That's not all we have on deck though -- read on for our news highlights from the last 24 hours, including the August smart lock, Google's ongoing licensing battle with Oracle, and more. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Sharp AQUOS Crystal review: mid-range brains meet striking looks
Pop quiz, hotshot: When's the last time you saw a Sharp phone in the United States? The Sharp FX from years back? Maybe the FX Plus? If you're anything like me, your mind will hearken back to chunky clamshell classics like this one. Long story short, it's been ages since Sharp has had any kind of mobile presence around these parts. That's something the Japanese company is finally ready to change, and it's aiming to do it with a splash. Enter the AQUOS Crystal, one of the most striking phones you'll ever see. It's finally available for $149 on Boost Mobile now and Sprint will get it come October 17th, but we have questions -- so many questions. Has Sharp figured out a way to crack the all-too-fickle US market? Are we looking at a classic case of style over substance?
Sharp's all-screen AQUOS Crystal arrives at Sprint
We knew the Sharp AQUOS Crystal was coming, but we weren't exactly sure when. That's all changed thanks to news from Sprint. The handset, packing a nigh edge-to-edge display, has just reached Sprint Prepaid and Boost Mobile (either at Best Buy or a Boost Mobile retail store) for $150. If you'd rather run Sharp's latest attempt at breaking into the US smartphone market on traditional service using a $10 per month payment plan, you'll have to wait an additional week until October 17th. There's yet another option, although it sadly won't put the phone in your hands any sooner. Quite the opposite, actually. Should you rather buy on the Sprint Prepaid from Radio Shack -- it'd surely love the business -- you'll have to wait all the way until October 21st to drop your cash. Need help deciding if it's for you? Check out our hands-on video after the break.
Engadget Daily: Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, transparent solar panels and more!
Today, we take the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook for a spin, round up a few of our favorite phones, learn about transparent solar panels, and more! Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Sharp's new bezel-less smartphone will land in US thanks to Sprint
It's been a long, long time since Sharp shipped a phone in the United States (remember this thing?) but it looks like that drought may soon be over. The Japanese electronics giant just pulled back the curtain on a pair of smartphones that barely have bezels, and one of them is slated to land here sooner or later. Sharp's Aquos Crystal X is the more impressive of the two -- aside from the fact that there's hardly any material running around its 5.5-inch 1080p display, there's a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 ticking away inside its 10mm thick chassis. Alas, it's the less-powerful Aquos Crystal that's expected find its way stateside. There still aren't any bezels to speak of, but it packs a comparatively paltry 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 and a 5-inch 720p display -- expect the price tag to reflect those decidedly mid-range ambitions.
Sharp's near-4K TVs are now available, starting at $2,500
Even though CES 2014 is long gone, some of the stuff announced there is just now starting to become available for purchase. Case in point: Sharp's Q+ lineup (originally known as Quattron+), a series of 2014 AQUOS televisions featuring the latest and greatest, including a revamped SmartCentral platform. But that's not what's interesting here. Instead, it's the Q+ technology, one that Sharp describes as being able to "accept a 4K signal and play it back at near-4K resolution, with an effective resolution of up to 3,840 x 2,160." The company says this is possible thanks to its Revelation Upscaler, which takes HD content and "optimizes it for the higher resolution screen, so that it's sharper and more vivid." By building Q+ TVs on 1080p panels, Sharp claims it's then capable of pricing these lower than some of its would-be competitors. Now, is that enough to get you to buy into it? If so, you'll have quite a few options to choose from -- they're up for grabs now in 60-, 70- and 80-inch flavors, with prices ranging from $2,500 all the way to a cool $6,000.
Sharp's AQUOS Serie mini phone has a Full HD IGZO display, bright colors, unlikely stateside availability
With phone specifications often reaching a terminal velocity before the next new technology or trend, giving your hardware a differentiator can be hard. Sharp's new AQUOS Serie mini SHL24, however, is having a stab at a couple. Firstly, the TV maker is leveraging its IGZO screen tech, and spicing it up by cramming a full (1080p) HD display into the 4.5-inch panel -- that's almost 490 PPI. Secondly, in what it's calling an EDGEST design, the AQUOS Serie mini SHL24 seems to have some of the thinnest bezels we've seen for some time (bar the bottom one where the buttons are) making that screen really take pride of place. Thirdly? Colors of course! As for the rest of the specification, well it's not too shabby either. First up, it's running Android Jelly Bean (4.2), sports a 13-megapixel camera, 16GB of storage (with an SD card slot) and a Snapdragon (MSM8974) quad-core processor -- clocked at around 2.2GHz. Oh, and it's even waterproofed to IPX57 standards. Those are quite a few boxes ticked. But, sadly there's one biggie that currently remains empty -- as far as we can see right now, this is a Japan-only device. Sorry.
Sharp Aquos lineup for 2014 bears 1080p and 4K TVs, a revamped SmartCentral platform and the new Quattron+ Series
We knew an army of TVs would be making an appearance at CES 2014. Accordingly, Sharp has just announced what we can expect out of the Aquos portfolio this year, with new hardware being introduced as part of its HD, Quattron and 4K Series -- there's also the debut of Quattron+, but we'll talk more about that a little later. As expected, Sharp is placing emphasis on big LED screens: Each model begins at 60 inches, ranging all the way up to 90 inches in the case of the HD Series. Speaking of which, the entry-level Aquos HD will be priced starting at $1,300, offering 1080p at 120Hz, 2D/3D options and Smart TV features. Meanwhile, the Quattron Series, which starts at $1,700, also does 1080p, but at 240Hz, plus it's equipped with Quattron technology and Sharp's completely overhauled SmartCentral platform, much like the HD and rest of the lineup. Those looking to spend a little more will be able to choose from the newly minted Quattron+ or 4K Series, both of which are running the company's revamped Smart TV software, SmartCentral 3. TVs with Quattron+ (seen above) are sort of a step between 1080p and Ultra HD; Sharp describes them as the "highest-resolution full HD" sets available, noting that the technology "divides each pixel, creating two pixels from one, to deliver 16 million subpixels." Prices on these are expected to be from $2,300 to $6,000 -- this gets you things like Active 3D, THX-approved picture quality, Bluetooth and, on the higher-end models, an AquoMotion 960, 240Hz screen. Lastly, the 4K Series, which is likely the most interesting of the bunch and ranges from $5,000 to $6,000, gets you an Ultra HD TV with an AquoMotion 240, 120Hz display, THX 4K, 3D, a duo bass subwoofer and four HDMI 2.0 ports. All in all, Sharp is going to be kicking off the year with a total of 19 different Aquos TVs; the HD, Quattron and Quattron+ are expected to ship in the spring, though there's no word yet on when the 4K Series is due to arrive.
Sharp's Aquos Phone Xx is almost all screen, gives 80.5 percent good face
"Too much bezel" -- how often have you seen that complaint in the comment section of new phone announces? Well, you can throw this Sharp Aquos Phone Xx (and its mini companion) in the face of that haterade brigade because 80.5 percent of its 5.2-inch front is all screen. At 70 x 132 x 9.9mm, the Xx is more compact than Sony's rival 5-inch phablet, the Xperia Z1, but its collection of top shelf specs gives it a fatter profile. The Android device, which joins Softbank's 4G LTE lineup this December, crams a 1080p display, 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 running Jelly Bean 4.2, 2,600mAh battery and a 16.3-megapixel rear camera (with an f/1.9 lens) into that squat, water-resistant frame. It also features pre-loaded translation software to make sense out of captured English text -- handy if you're, you know, Japanese. We realize this is an unfair mobile tease for those of you green-eyed monsters living in the Western world; you'll likely never see the Xx make that transcontinental trek. But it's always nice to dream.
Sharp's 70-inch, THX-certified Aquos Ultra 4K TV goes on sale in the US for $7,500
We are well past mid-August, which is when Sharp initially estimated its new 70-inch Aquos 4K Ultra HD LED TV would begin hitting shelves. Despite the late arrival, however, something tells us folks will still be glad to have yet another choice when shopping for their next 4K television set. To make things better, Sharp's super high-res, THX-certified Smart TV is set to be carrying a $7,499.99 MSRP here in the States, making it about $500 cheaper than when it was originally announced. Those of you interested shouldn't have trouble finding one, as Sharp says it'll be available at many regional and major retailers across the country.
Sharp announces first THX-certified 4K TV, the $8,000 Aquos Ultra
Sharp has just revealed the Aquos Ultra at CE Week, a 70-inch Ultra HDTV the company says is the only THX-certified 4K model on the market. Calling it the company's "best designed TV ever," Sharp said that it put the model through "four hundred rigorous performance tests" to gain the THX nod, which is meant to assure that content is reproduced as closely as possible. On top of the 3,840 x 2,160 pixel count, the model features advanced HD upscaling tech via a dual-core signal processor, pre-calibrated THX Movie viewing modes, a dual subwoofer system with 35 watts of sound output, Sharp's SmartCentral Smart TV platform and a flash-enabled web browser. You'll also be able to change channels or send video directly from your smartphone via the Beam app, and watch 3D films at 4K with the set's active shutter technology (two Bluetooth 3D glasses are included). If you're not dissuaded by the $8,000 price tag, it'll be up for grabs in mid-August -- check the PR and video after the break for more.
Sharp launches two new Aquos 4K LCD TVs into the Japanese market
Sharp has just introduced a couple of high-end TVs if you're rich enough to be seeking an UltraHD set and lucky enough to live in Japan: the 70-inch LC-70UD1 and the 60-inch LC-60UD1, part of the new 4K Aquos UD1 series. Each will feature Sharp's 4K "Moth-eye" panel, Aquos 4K-Master Engine Pro HD upconversion engine, 2.1 channel THX surround and 3D capability. The 70-inch model will run 850,000 yen ($8,290) and launch on June 15th, while the 60-inch set will arrive August 10th for 650,000 yen ($6,335). There's no word yet on a stateside arrival, but based on what Sharp said at CES 2013 in January, it may join a 32-inch 4K Aquos model sometime later this year.
Aquos Phone Zeta SH-06E packs a 1080p IGZO Screen, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600
The folks at NTT DoCoMo have just paraded out their roster of handsets for the summer season, and tucked in among the phones is the waterproof Aquos Phone Zeta SH-06E, which packs a 1080p IGZO display. Behind the 4.8-inch screen, the Android 4.2 handset totes a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, NFC, WiFi, a TV tuner and a 2,600mAh battery. As for cameras, the Sharp-made hardware -- which comes in blue, red and white hues -- packs a 13.1-megapixel rear shooter and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing cam. Since the device operates on the network's Xi LTE service, it's rated to pull down 100Mbps and upload at 37.5Mbps. As for a release date, the smartphone is slated to hit Japanese streets on May 24th. There's no telling when this cellphone or its 1080p IGZO display will arrive in other territories, but our eyes sure hope it's soon.
Sharp AQUOS Ultra HD, 1080p HDTVs eyes-on
Sharp just announced a slew of new HDTVs at its CES 2013 press conference (relive the liveblog now), We've got all the details on the standard models, including pricing right here, but we'll have to wait until the second half of the year to learn more about its AQUOS Ultra HD model. That doesn't mean you have to wait to see it however, we've got a few up close pics of the new high-res champ (until Sharp's 85-inch 8K monster hits the streets anyway), check them out in the gallery. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub. Billy Steele contributed to this report.
Sharp launches AQUOS Ultra HD panel for second half 2013
Sharp announced a 32-inch AQUOS Ultra HD set at CES complementing the other TV launches for this year. Set to debut sometime mid year, the 240Hz 4K panel will feature a 4K upscaler, active 3D with Bluetooth 3D glasses, built in WiFi and a subwoofer to boot. No word on pricing but we'll get back with that as soon as we're able. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Sharp announces second screen support on iOS and Android for its SmartCentral HDTVs
We're here at Sharp's CES 2013 press conference, that it'll release a SmartCentral second screen and remote control app for its Aquos TVs. The service will offer split-screen TV and web browsing support, and users will be able to "flick" photos and videos from their mobile device to the TV, presumably in a similar manner to Sony's Throw. The company is also announcing support for Netflix's second-screen control, previously seen on the PlayStation 3 and a wallpaper mode that'll help your HDTV blend into your wall covering. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Sharp announces new 6-, 7- and 8-Series AQUOS LED TVs as part of 2013 lineup (update: pricing info)
Despite not having the best of years, Sharp has still managed to make its presence felt in the television market -- namely by introducing plenty of AQUOS TVs in recent months, including that 90-inch LED beast we saw back in June of 2012. Today, the Japanese electronics maker is looking to increase its efforts on that front, with the firm adequately choosing this year's CES as the platform to unveil its new lineup of 60-,70- and 80-inch LED televisions in the 6-,7- and 8-Series. For starters, the entry-level 6-Series will boast 1080p capabilities with AQUOMotion 240 (120Hz) as the main driving tech behind it, while the higher-specced (and presumably more expensive) 7- and 8-Series are set to carry the same resolution features (sorry, no 4K here) but with Quattron "color intensification" and AQUOMotion 480 and AQUOMotion 960 technology inside both. Smart and 3D features can also be found in most of Sharp's novel TV models, which should pair nicely with what the company's calling "striking new slim designs." All in all, Sharp is kicking off the new year with about 18 new AQUOS LED TVs -- and for those interested in learning each model name, the presser after the break should help do just that. Update: We have just received pricing information from Sharp, and it looks as if the cheapest model will start off at about $1,500 for the 60-inch, non-3D LC-60LE650, while the most expensive HDTV is set to be the 80-inch LC-80LE857 with a hefty price tag of $6,500 -- both of which will be available in February and April, respectively. In addition, Sharp today also announced its new SmartCentral platform, which will be a one-stop hub for the now-accustomed smart TV applications like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu and Facebook. You'll find more pricing and availability information for the other models inside the updated PR past the jump. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
