Sharp Aquos R with Snapdragon 835 and AI capabilities announced in Japan

Japan based Sharp Mobile has introduced a flagship level smartphone called Aquos R equipped with top-of-the line Snapdragon 835 chip. If you were expecting a bezel-less design, you'll be disappointed as it sports the regular screen design, but the hardware inside is similar to Galaxy S8 or Xiaomi's Mi 6. To recall, Sharp was one of the first smartphone maker to come out with a bezel-less phone.

The unique feature of the smartphone is its AI capabilities with the AI assistant called Emopa. There's also a charging dock called ROBOKOKU (optional) that can follow the direction of a user's voice and identify their face when the Aquos R is docked on it. The charging dock uses the phone's mic, camera and AI assistant.

Coming to the specs, the Sharp Aquos R features 5.3-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) IGZO display, which is HDR 10 capable and is equipped with Snapdragon 835 chip, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, which can be increased via microSD card. It runs Android Nougat and packs a fingerprint sensor, that is embedded into the home button.

For photography, it gets 22.6MP f/1.9 rear camera with high-speed auto-focus, LED flash, optical image stabilization, and 16.3MP wide-angle selfie camera on the front. In terms of connectivity, there's 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC and USB Type-C port. It is fueled by 3160mAh battery and supports fast charging. The phone is also water and dust resistant.

Sharp did not reveal the pricing and availability details. Also like previous Sharp smartphone, the phone is most likely to be exclusive to Japan market.

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Cathay Arp XC01Q, a Windows10 Mobile with 5.5-inch display, 13MP camera

While big companies are staying away from Windows phones, we have seen a lot of Japan based smartphone makers take chance with this platform. The latest is Catahay, which is releasing Arp XC01Q Windows 10 Mobile handset later this month.

The XC01Q sports a 5.5-inch HD (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display and is equipped with 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB RAM and 32GB inbuilt expandable storage. The camera department gets 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 5-megapixel front camera. Connectivity features include 4G LTE, 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. It is backed by 2600mAh battery.

Cathay has not yet revealed the pricing of the Arp XC01Q, but the phone is likely to be limited to Japan market. 

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Japan shows off disaster-response robots

Japan is known for its frequent volcanic and seismic activities as its lies along the western edge of the Ring of Fire, where several continental and oceanic plates meet. The archipelago nation is the home to 118 volcanoes, and the country experiences regular earthquake, the strongest of which occured in 2011, that triggered powerful tsunami waves destroying large areas of the country and claiming almost 230,000 lives.

Earlier this week, Japan displayed a pair of two-legged humanoid robot, which they hope will one day be used to offer emergency support and relief in the aftermath of national disasters including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the country.

Called HRP-2 Kai and , JAXON (red and yellow colored), these robots have tiny heads attached with sensors and can operate in harsh conditions. They were developed in a project under the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, which was started following a devastating magnitude 8.9 earthquake and tsunami hit northern Japan in 2011. The robots were presented at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo.

During the presentation, the two robots performed a mock earthquake response, walking through fake debris and extinguishing fire. But unlike Hollywood movies where robots can run, jump, fly, transform, these robots are slow and steady type. The sensors on the head let the robots recognize where to put the feet.

HRP-2 Kai, which is 1.7m tall, walked on a narrow plank, while 1.88m-tall JAXON, moved forward by bending its back and putting both hands on the floor, judging that the ceiling was too low to move upright. It then lifted itself up to remove a box and debris to secure a pathway. 

However, the humanoid robots are far from perfect, suffering from balance problems in rough terrain. JAXON suffered an embarrassing incident, when it tumbled and had to be carried away on a stretcher. The organisation hopes for further improvements before the robots can be relied upon in real-world situations. The team behind the project predicts it may take as little as five years before the robots are ready for commercial use.

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Kyocera's Digno Rafre can be washed with soap and water

You need no longer worry about getting your smartphone dirty, at least the people in Japan can. The new Digno Rafre by Japanese brand Kyocera is the world's first soap-proof phone. This means you can now use regular soap to clean the Digno Rafre if it gets dirty.

The phone has a waterproof coating that will protect the phone from foam soap, which is recommended over solid soap bar, and also offers protection from hot water, which is used to help disinfect the phone. In addition, the phone has a "scratch healing" finish, thanks to the "dynamic plastic back cover", a touchscreen that functions even when wet and a Smart Sonic Receiver which passes sound through users connective tissue, eliminating the need for a speaker.

The Digno Rafre sports a 5-inch HD display with Asahi Glass Dragon Trail  protection and is powered by Snapdragon 410 processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB on-board storage, further expandable via microSD card up to 128GB. For imaging, it is equipped with 13-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front facing camera. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and is fueled by 3000mAh battery. Connectivity features include 4G LTE, VoLTE, WiMAX 2+, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, and MicroUSB 2.0 port

The IPX5 and IPX8 certifications make the phone water proof, while IP5X rating makes it dust proof. With the waterproof protection, the phone feels thick in hand measuring 10.1mm thickness and weighs about 155g.

Kyocera's Digno Rafre is priced at 57,420 yen ($465 | Rs. 31,000) and will officially launch in Japan on December 11. It comes in Coral Pink, Cashmere White and Marin Navy color. The firm has no plans to launch the phone outside Japan.

Japan's NuAns Neo is a highly customizable Windows Phone

The NuAns Neo from Trinity Inc., is a new Windows 10 Mobile device from Japan, which sports a unique design that lets you customize its rear side.

The NuAns Neo features a unique TWOTONE interchangable covers that provide a more organic feel due to their texturized materials and offers up to 64 different combination of style giving a personalized look to the device. The device is comprised of a 'core' (the smartphone itself) and two different rear covers that change the look of its upper and lower half.

These covers come in various colors and is made out of materials like wood or synthetic leather. Some are included in the retail box, while others have to be purchased seperately. There are also flip case which covers up the entire phone in a notebook style design. It comes in eight different models and can hold a credit or NFC card.

Specwise, the NuAns Neo features 5-inch HD (1280 x 720 pixels) display and is powered by 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB expandable storage. It is equipped with 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front facing camera. It is fueled by 3350mAH battery and houses USB Type-C connector with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 for faster charging.

The NuAns Neo is priced at 42,700 yen ($378 | Rs. 23,000) and is now up for pre-orders in Japan, with shipments expected to begin in January 2016. The TWOTONE covers can be bought with the phone itself or seperately for 1,400 yen ($11 | Rs.760) and the Flip case costs 3,680 yen ($30 | Rs. 2000).

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Yamada Denki Every Phone is the thinnest Windows Phone at 6.9mm

Japan based Yamada Denki has outed the Every Phone, running Windows 10 Mobile, which is just 6.9mm thin, making it the thinnest Windows Phone device till date.

The Every Phone packs 5.5-inch HD (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display and is powered by quad-core Snapdragon 410 64-bit processor, further aided by Adreno 306 GPU and 2GB RAM. It comes with 32GB internal storage, further expandable via microSD card. 

On the back there is a 13-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel camera sits on the front for taking selfies. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. It is fueled by 2600mAh battery and comes in Black and White color options.

The Yamada Denko Every Phone is priced at 38,800 yen ($235 | Rs. 21,700) or at 1,791 yen with 2 year contract. It will be available in Japan from November 28 and the first 3000 customers will get a free Bluetooth keyboard and screen protector.

Sharp Aquos Zeta SH-01H, Aquos Compact SH-02H, Aquos Disney DM-01H announced

Sharp introduced three new smartphone, the Aquos Zeta SH-01H, Aquos Compact SH-02H and the Aquos Disney DM-01H as a part of NTT DoCoMo's 2015 winter/ 2016 spring lineup. These smartphones look impressive and slim as they feature the company's EDGEST design that minimizes the top, bottom and side bezels. Unfortunately they are intended for the Japanese market.

The Sharp Aquos Zeta SH-01H features Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) IGZO display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. Inside there is a 1.8GHz Hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor with Adreno 430 GPU and 3GB RAM. On-board storage is 32GB, further expandable via microSD card slot up to 200GB. Android 5.1 Lollipop is pre-installed.

There is a 13.1-megapixel camera on the rear with BSI sensor and LED flash.  On the front there is a 8-megapixel camera with BSI sensor. It sits below the display since there is no space in the top. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/GLONASS and NFC. It has IPX5/IP6X ratings for dust and water resistance. A fingerprint scanner is also on board. It is fueled by 3100mAh battery. It comes in Blue, Magneta and Black colors.

Sharp Aquos Compact SH-02H features 4.7-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) IGZO display and is equipped with Hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor with Adreno 430 GPU, 3GB RAM and 16GB expandable storage. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and supports 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/GLONASS and NFC connectivity.

For imaging there is 13.1-megapixel rear camera with BSI sensor, f/1.9 aperture and LED flash. The 5-megapixel front facing camera is placed below the display. It is fueled by 2810mAH battery and is IPX5/IP6X rated for dust and water resistance. It comes in Yellow w/ Silver and Blue w/ Black colors.

Sharp Aquos Disney DM-01H, is a variant of the Aquos Compact and is targeted at Disney fans, with exactly the same specifications as the SH-02H. However, the Sharp Disney Mobile arrives with free Disney content and branding, and is available in Sparkle Blue or Sparkle Pink colors.

The Sharp Aquos Zeta SH-01H and Aquos Compact SH-02H will go on sale early November and December 2016 respectively via NTT DoCoMo. The Aquos Disney DM-10H will go on sale by end of January 2016.

Samsung Galaxy Active Neo rugged smartphone unveiled in Japan

Samsung announced the launch of a new rugged smartphone- Galaxy Active Neo in Japan.

 

Samsung Galaxy Active Neo features 4.5-inch WVGA (480 x 800 pixels) display and is equipped with a 1.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor clubbed with 2GB RAM and houses 16GB inbuilt storage. There is a microSD card slot for storage expansion. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop.

 

There is an 8-megapixel camera on the back with LED flash and 2-megapixel front facing camera. On the connectivity front it supports LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC. It is fueled by 2200mAh battery and comes with Ultra Power Saving Mode

 

Being a rugged phone means it is IP68 certified, promising protection from dust and water. Plus it also has MIL-STD-810G certification for salt and sea water, dust, humidity, rain, vibration, solar radiation, transport and thermal shock resistance. It can withstand 2 tons of load and survive a drop on concrete from 1.5 meters.

The Samsung Galaxy Active Neo comes in Solid Black and Camo White. It carries the price tag JPY 20,000 (166) and will be available in Japan starting November via NTT DoCoMo.

Source: Samsung Japan

Sony announces Xperia J1 Compact Phantom Pain Edition in Japan

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is just two weeks away from launch and publisher Konami's marketing is in full swing. The company has tied up with Sony Mobiles for a special edition phone. The phone is the special edition of Xperia J1 Compact smartphone and is called Phantom Pain Edition. The J1 Compact was launched in Japan in March earlier this year. 

Sony Xperia J1 Compact: The Phantom Pain Edition has a Outer Heaven logo on the back which sits between Sony and Xperia branding. It comes pre-loaded with digital content like two tracks from the original game soundtrack as well qas a custom ringtone and a wallpaper to match the theme. It also comes with a MGS V art book and an 100 Yen ($8) voucher to download MGS novels or comics from the Sony Reader Store.

On paper the Phantom Pain Edition is same as Xperia J1 Compact, sporting a 4.3-inch 720p display and equipped with Snapdragon 808 processor with Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM and 16GB expandable storage. For imaging, there is 20.7-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 2-megapixel front shooter. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat and supports 4G LTE, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and GPS connectivity. Fueling the device is a 2300mAh battery that is also IP58 certified for dust and water-resistant.

Sony Xperia J1 Compact: The Phantom Pain Edition is priced at 59,800 Yen ($480 | Rs. 31,400) and will go sale in Japan on September 2, a day after Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain releases. Sony's Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Z4 Tablet, NW-ZX2 and NW-A16 Walkman MP3 player will also come pre-loaded with MGS contents and custom designs.

Freetel Katana 01 and Katana 02 are Japan's first Windows 10 phones

Japanese phone maker Freetel announced two Windows 10 Mobile phones dubbed Katana 01 and Katana 02. The company plans to launch both the phones when Microsoft officially out the Windows 10 Mobile later this year.

The Katana 01 is a lower-end device of the duo and sports 4.5-inch display with 480 x 854 pixels and is powered by s quad-core processor (unknown chipset). Other features include dual-LED equipped camera, LTE connectivity support and 1700mAh battery. It comes in blue, purple, yellow, grey, black and will cost around $160.

Katana 02 is a mid-range phone that comes with 5-inch display with 720 x 1280 pixels IPS LCD display and is powered by quad-core processor fueled by a 2600mAh battery. Other features include LTE connectivity support, front and rear cameras. It is priced around $240.

Via : Windows Central

Sharp Aquos Pad SH-05G, the tablet with Snapdragon 810 chip

Few days back Japanese electronic company Sharp introduced a very powerful tablet dubbed Aquos Pad SH-05G in Japan.

The Sharp Aquos Pad SH-05G is the world's second Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 powered tablet. It is worth noting that Sony's Xperia Z4 tablet also comes with the said processor.

The tablet features 7-inch full HD (1920x1200 pixels) IGZO display and is powered by  Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chip with 2.0 GHz quad-core Cortex-A57 and 1.5 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 Processors. It packs 2GB RAM, houses 32GB internal storage which can be further expandable via microSD card and runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box.

Camera features include 8-megapixel rear camera and 2.1-megapixel front facing camera. It will support Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity in Japan. A 3900mAh battery fuels that tablet. It measures 174mm by 105mm, has a thickness of 8mm and weighs just 210 grams.

Sharp's Aquos Pad SH-05G will release mid-July in Japan via local carrier Docomo. There are no details about pricing and global availability.

Source : Liliputing

Fujitsu Q665 tablet PC hybrid with Intel Core M processor unveiled in Japan

Fujitsu has announced a Tablet PC hybrid dubbed Arrows Tab Q665 which features Intel Core M Broadwell porcessor and is targeted at the enterprise market. It comes with a detachable keyboard dock and supports 3G and 4G LTE connectivity.

Fujitsu Arrows Tab Q665 sports 11.6-inch full HD display.The tablet offers a choice of Intel Core M-5Y10C or Core M-5Y31 processors and 4GB or 8GB RAM. For storage there is an impressive 128 GB or 256GB solid state HDD. OS choices include Windows 7 Pro, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro.

Camera features include  5-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front facing camera. The tablet offers a battery life of 10 hours on a single charge and supports WiFi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC connectivity and houses microSD card slot, USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and micro HDMI ports. It is also fitted with a fingerprint sensor for extra security and is rated with IPX5/7/8 and IP5X certified making it water proof and dust proof. It measures 294.8 x 192.4 x 11.9mm and weighs 795 grams.

The Fujitsu Arrows Tab Q665 will be available in Japan in June for 154,600 yen ($1300). There is no details on worldwide availability.

Source : Liliputing

Sharp Aquos Crystal 2 and Aquos Xx unveiled in Japan

Japanese-based telecommunication company SoftBank has listed two new devices from Sharp, the Aquos Crystal 2 and Aquos Xx.

Sharp's Aquos Crystal 2 is the successor to the Aquos Crystal which was launched back in August 2011. The main highlight of Aquos Crystal was that it did not sport any bezel on the side or above the display. The Aquos Crystal 2 resembles its predecessor a lot, but has a different set of specs.

The Aquos Crystal 2 sports a bezel-less 5.2-inch (1280x720 pixels) S-CG Silicon LCD display and is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor coupled with Adreno 305 GPU and 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB internal storage and for storage expansion there is a microSD card slot present that supports up to 128GB microSD cards.

Camera features include 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, CMOS sensor and 2.1-megapixel front camera. It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, supports 4G LTE connectivity and is waterproof. The device measures 136 x 71 x 11mm, weighs 154 grams and will be available in Turquoise, Black, White and Pink color options

The Sharp Aquos Xx on the other hand is the company's flagship device. It features a 5.7-inch full HD (1920x1080 pixels) S-CG LCD display and is powered by 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor paired with Adreno 430 GPU and 3GB RAM. It houses 32GB of internal storage that is expandable up to 128GB via microSD card, runs Android 5.0 Lollipop and comes pre-loaded with Japanese personal assistant Emopa.

Camera features include 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 2-megapixel front facing camera. It supports 4G LTE connectivity, is waterproof and come in Black, White or Red color options.

The Sharp Aquos Crystal 2 will be released in mid-July 2015 while the Aquos Xx will go on sale in June 15. Pricing details of both the devices are not available.