sharp
Latest
I tried to live with a high-end feature phone. I can't.
The feature phone. Still big in Japan. Still being sold in the millions. Still relevant, though? And does it even matter what a 30-something tech writer at a Western tech site thinks? Japan's large elderly population -- people who haven't even heard of Angry Birds, Gmail or Uber -- they're the ones sticking to their flip phones. Hardy, easy to use and cheaper than an iPhone. (If you need a primer on the phenomenon of gara-kei, you should probably read up on that here, but in short, it's how Japan's mobile phone market sped ahead with early technologies, then faltered when smartphone competition arrived.) So let's try using one. The best and newest feature phone available in Japan, no less. It's pitched as bringing the best smartphone features to the flip form factor. Is it better than a plain, old smartphone? Good lord, no.
Here's what you missed on the second day of CES
CES is in full swing now, and most of the companies here have already laid their cards on the table. It's bittersweet: It means that there are fewer major announcements from big companies to gush over, but also that we have more time to cruise the show floor for hidden treasures. It's also the day Engadget picks out the finalists for the official Best of CES awards. What did we find and who made the cut? Check out the gallery below and find out. [Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Here's what you missed on the first official day of CES
The doors opened; the masses piled in; and it began: Yesterday was the first official day of CES. It's perhaps the most frenzied day of the week, with hundreds of companies vying for attention within the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. So, what happened on the show floor yesterday? Check out the gallery below and find out. [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Sharp's new any-shape displays are coming to cars and a whole lot more
Sharp's been working on its isn't-that-concept-art free-form displays (FFD) for a few years and, well, CES is a good place to show and tell us where they'll eventually end up, you know, in real life. We've just seen some of the more polished prototypes that will form the basis for dash-based displays in cars coming to market by 2017. But while we knew that was the aim, it's only the start. These low-power IGZO displays "don't need edges," so they can be cut into any shape and while there's no touch functionality in the current prototypes, it can be added -- meaning they could be found in mobile devices and (according to reports at least), something from Nintendo. Sharp had a great display where two circles were cut out and used as separate displays, and the "leftover" screen also functioned as part of a larger dash display. Here, take a look:
Sharp wants to put a 120-inch 4K display on commercial walls
Every year, TVs are a big deal here at the Consumer Electronics Show. Therefore, it's no surprise that Sharp would have a huge presence here in Las Vegas. And when I say huge, I mean huge. Just like last year, when it teased its 85-inch 8K TV with glasses-free 3D, Sharp's now showing off a 120-inch 4K Commercial LCD display. According to the company, one day this could replace video walls in public spaces (like at Times Square, for instance), as well as projectors in classrooms and conference rooms. At the moment, there's no word on how much one of these would cost interested parties -- but it's safe to imagine it won't be budget-friendly at all.
Dolby Vision imaging tech is coming to Warner Bros. movies
Dolby doesn't want to limit its Dolby Vision tech just to Netflix and other streaming services, so the outfits' partnering with film studios too. First up is Warner Bros., where flicks including Edge of Tomorrow, The Lego Movie and Into the Storm are getting the high-dynamic range treatment early this year -- just in time for the launch of TVs with the tech baked in, according to the company. Additional new release movies and catalog titles are en route this year, as well. For the tech to really take off, however, Dolby willl need to expand beyond one studio, but we'd imagine WB is a pretty decent place to start. If anything, the announcement means Edge of Tomorrow's bleak version of the future's going to get a little brighter sometime soon. [Image credit: Associated Press]
Android TV sets from Philips, Sharp and Sony are coming this spring
Google's years-long effort to get a foothold in the living room is finally paying off. The search pioneer has announced that TVs from Sharp, Sony and TP Vision (aka Philips) will all run Android TV when they arrive this spring. Both Sharp and Sony will have multiple 4K models using the internet-savvy software, and every single Philips set will ship with Google's technology on board. You can also expect to see the operating system on Razer's Forge TV game console this February, and Huawei is building an Android TV media player that arrives later this year.
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.
Netflix will tell you which TV is best for Netflix
Netflix is launching a new initiative to recommend the best TV for its streaming service. Starting this spring, a "Netflix Recommended TV" logo will start appearing on TVs from Sony, Sharp, Vizio, LG and manufacturers of Roku TVs (so far TCL, Best Buy's in-house Insignia brand and a few other second-tier players are signed up to produce Roku sets). What does this certification actually mean? According to Netflix, TVs bearing the logo will have hit some "performance criteria" targets including fast app launch, fast resuming of video playback or the ability to power a TV directly into the Netflix app. The program will initially be available in the US, but the features it brings will spread around the world through this year.
Nintendo's next device will reportedly, bizarrely, be donut-shaped
There's an intriguing report from Kyodo that Nintendo will use Sharp's "free-form" LCDs on an oddly-shaped new console or other product. Sharp recently showed off IGZO-based displays that move the control circuits away from the bezel, allowing for funky, non-rectangular shapes, as shown above. Nintendo will reportedly use the tech for a device with a "donut-hole" at the center, either a replacement 3DS console or an unusual sleep-tracking device it recently teased. It could also be aimed at cheaper consoles for emerging markets, judging by recent statements about "new thinking" from president Satoru Iwata. If the rumor is accurate, it's not clear why Nintendo would want a screen with a hole -- possibly to display extra game info? Your guess is as good as ours. Update: We asked Nintendo about the report and it (unsurprisingly) told us "we don't comment on rumor or speculation."
Engadget Daily: Holiday Gift Guide, Amazon's Hachette deal and more!
It'll soon be time to wrap those presents, so to help with with the burden of holiday shopping, our latest Gift Guide offers ideas for the tech-savvy folks you're buying for. Read on for the rest of our news highlights from the last 24 hours, including the Microsoft Band review, another day in the Taylor Swift/Spotify saga, Amazon's truce with Hachette and more.
Sharp's new display shows the pixel-density race is far from over
If you have spectacularly good eyesight, the highest pixel-density you can see is about 500 pixels-per-inch (ppi). But that trifling little detail isn't stopping display manufacturers and marketers, no sir! Sharp just revealed an iPhone 5s-sized (4.1-inches) IGZO LCD screen with WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) resolution. That works out to 736ppi -- a quantum leap above Samsung's Galaxy S5 LTE-A, the current smartphone champ at 576ppi. You'll see devices with the screen starting in 2016, but it may lose its density crown before then anyway. Samsung is rumored to have a 5.9-inch, 4K Super AMOLED display with 747ppi in the works. Better eat those carrots. Update: We've updated the post to note that it's the iPhone 5s that has a 4-inch-sized screen, not the iPhone 4s.
Sharp's night vision camera records color even in total darkness
Say goodbye to the days of monochrome night vision footage, folks. Sharp recently unveiled an infrared security camera that captures color 720p video, even in absolute darkness. The trick is an imaging sensor that uses near-infrared for illumination; unlike virtually every other competitor, this camera doesn't have to resort to conventional lights (and thus give itself away) to get a vivid picture. It's based on tech we've seen before, developed by Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (check out some video from a 2011 demo embedded after the break.) The device will likely be limited to corporate and government customers when it goes on sale in late November, but it could have a big impact on your safety. Building managers will soon have an easier time identifying intruders, not just spotting them -- while the technology might not stop a break-in, it should increase the chances of catching thieves before they strike again.
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 AQUOS Crystal is all screen
It's sure been a long time since Sharp shipped a smartphone to American consumers. And, let's be honest with ourselves, the FX Plus wasn't exactly taking the market by storm. The Sidekick-esque slider was dated even by 2011 standards. But the company is hoping its AQUOS Crystal will have better fortunes. The (almost) bezel-less device offers high-end looks with decidedly mid-range internals. The 1.2GHz chip inside isn't going to set land-speed records, but it should be enough for most folks. The most important feature, though, is the edge-to-edge 5-inch display. While Sharp's description of it as a "groundbreaking" device might be a little over the top, we must admit it's quite a stunning panel -- especially for being five inches and only 720p.
Android TV will be in Sony, Sharp and Philips TVs next year
Google isn't giving up on TVs yet. While its new Android TV flavor of Android L will hit the streets in set-top boxes aimed at game consoles and media streamers, it announced that next year smart TVs from Sony (all of its 4K and smart TVs), Sharp and TP Vision/Philips will ship with the OS. It's also working with some familiar TV providers overseas like LG U+ in Korea (not LG Electronics TVs, which are moving to webOS) and SFR in France, as well as the chipmakers that build the components for smart TVs and boxes as seen in the slide above. The difference from the original Google TV approach is that the company isn't treating Android TV as an entirely separate platform from mobile, and everything needed to handle video from HDMI, TV tuners or IPTV receivers is now natively included in Android L. We'll probably have to wait until CES 2015 to find out if it's having any success convincing more TV manufacturers to join in (again), but these are a start.
Sharp flaunts Free-Form displays for funky-shaped devices
When Motorola unveiled its snappy Moto 360 smartwatch, the first thing we thought was "how do you make a round display?" Sharp has one answer with its new IGZO-based "Free-Form" LCD prototype that can be sculpted into any shape. The company's current IGZO tech only works with rectangular displays, where the circuits that drive the LCD live on the perimeter of the screen. Sharp managed to bake those chips into the display itself, allowing for not only a shrunken bezel but nearly any display format you might want. That'll let designers create much more compact car dashboards, new digital signage, unusually shaped monitors and yes, wearables like smartwatches. That likely won't include the Moto 360, though, since it's rumored to have an OLED display. Also, Sharp says that the Free-Form display is nearly ready for mass production, but isn't quite there yet.
