7 ms·

Pretty sure they used Sharp as a partner, so it isn't like they started from scratch. That guess is based on this Sharp phone looking mighty familiar (http://ww

Pretty sure they used Sharp as a partner, so it isn't like they started from scratch. That guess is based on this Sharp phone looking mighty familiar (http://www.gsmarena.com/sharp_aquos_s2_taken_apart_a_bezelless_phone_thats_put_together_well-news-26760.php http://www.gsmarena.com/sharp_aquos_s2_taken_apart_a_bezelle...) and Rubin having worked with Sharp extensively during the Danger days. (most of the Sidekicks were made by Sharp) I'm kinda sort interested in this device, but honestly I'm in the sit and wait given that Sharp isn't exactly a name brand anymore.

boondaburrah 9y ago
Sharp for some reason refuses to sell their smartphones outside of Japan. When I lived there I had a Sharp phone - and it was amazing. Smoothest non-stock android experience I've had. Recently they were selling [did this finally happen?] off their phone business to foxconn because it was falling behind. Man, if you actually tried to sell your phones, Sharp, they might have sold? Funny concept. If this phone is indeed a Sharp creation, I'm all over it.
- a_rahmanshah 9y ago
  Exactly! Sharp was the one who started this thin-bezel trend with Sharp Aquos Crystal in 2014.
  - toastking 9y ago
    They also have great screen tech from their tv business. So if that's been transferred to their phone business it's gotta be great.
    - boondaburrah 9y ago
      Can confirm, the Sharp phone I owned in Japan had an absolutely fabulous screen, 1080p in 4.5" (I long for compact flagships), vivid colour with customisable profiles, including an electronically switchable privacy filter (using the toggle buttons in the notification shade) with 3 designs! The OS had been optimised to run smooth as butter, even with crapware. Too bad it also had to have all the docomo apps.
      - exikyut 9y ago
        What do you mean by switchable privacy filter? Something that reduced the viewing angle, perhaps by adjusting the color profile?
        boondaburrah 9y ago
        There's a physical layer of the screen between the touch glass and the LCD that can be turned on, reducing the viewing angle. Anyone looking from the side will instead see a floral pattern, butterfly pattern, or something else I forget (stars?), depending on your setting. (You can't pick beyond these three because each pattern is physically its own layer it looks like) This is classic Japanese market electronics. Rather than increase bottom line, add loads of niceties to compete. My phone was a smartphone, a mobile wallet (osaifu-keitai, tap-to-pay), my train pass (osaifu-keitai is different hardware to android pay, as it works on turnstiles, even when the phone is dead/off, and has been a thing since 2004), a television (over the air!), an answering machine (no messages stored by carrier; the phone picks up if you don't answer and records it to the SD card), had those privacy filter things, and a really responsive camera. Sadly, it has a non-replaceable battery and refuses to update android unless it can connect to a docomo tower (I think docomo hosts it's phone's system updates on internal network only, not internet). I had to retire the phone long before the hardware gave out. I'm pretty much stuck with the phone's stock android because A) It's sharp, so the android hacking community hasn't heard of it. and B) I don't think any ROM would have drivers for any of the galapagos features. (especially I need osaifu-keitai, which as well as being a wallet and my train pass, has all of my arcade top scores associated with it (whenever I go, I just tap the phone and the arcade machine looks me up - unlocks all the bonuses I've achieved and my prefs))
        exikyut 9y ago
        > There's a physical layer of the screen between the touch glass and the LCD that can be turned on, reducing the viewing angle. Oh, wow. > Anyone looking from the side will instead see a floral pattern, butterfly pattern, or something else I forget (stars?), depending on your setting. Wow. > (You can't pick beyond these three because each pattern is physically its own layer it looks like) I see. > This is classic Japanese market electronics. Rather than increase bottom line, add loads of niceties to compete. TIL the Japanese are still ahead of us with stuff that's really nice, and the rest of the world succumbed to being flooded out with high-fructose corn syrup laden toy electronics that hack our attention spans. > My phone was a smartphone, a mobile wallet (osaifu-keitai, tap-to-pay), my train pass (osaifu-keitai is different hardware to android pay, as it works on turnstiles, even when the phone is dead/off, and has been a thing since 2004), a television (over the air!), an answering machine (no messages stored by carrier; the phone picks up if you don't answer and records it to the SD card), had those privacy filter things, and a really responsive camera. Wow. I can't find it now but I remember seeing a Japanese phone that had OTA TV, a GPS, and even a fingerprint reader on the back. I checked the date, and the thing was made in 2008. Shakes head > Sadly, it has a non-replaceable battery and refuses to update android unless it can connect to a docomo tower (I think docomo hosts it's phone's system updates on internal network only, not internet). I had to retire the phone long before the hardware gave out. Hah. > I'm pretty much stuck with the phone's stock android because A) It's sharp, so the android hacking community hasn't heard of it. and B) I don't think any ROM would have drivers for any of the galapagos features. Mmmm... > (especially I need osaifu-keitai, which as well as being a wallet and my train pass, has all of my arcade top scores associated with it (whenever I go, I just tap the phone and the arcade machine looks me up - unlocks all the bonuses I've achieved and my prefs)) _wow_ that is absolutely awesome. What's really sad is that if this sort of integration ever came to the US I know it'd be used in the most invasive ways possible :( I wonder if there are any videos documenting any of this out there. I wouldn't mind seeing this stuff in action, especially the game console bit. That's awesome.
- CreepGin 9y ago
  Yeah, Foxconn bought Sharp last year. One interesting thing I heard (from words of mouth) was Gou decided to follow through with the purchase after Sharp reduced the price by 35%. Gou was mighty proud of the acquisition for awhile until the Japanese Yen devalued considerably, leading him to speculate foul play from the Japanese in the original deal.
  - zitterbewegung 9y ago
    So could this be Sharp / Foxconn testing the waters to start selling phones to american consumers?
    - CreepGin 9y ago
      Not sure about that. The move only seemed to reinforce Foxconn's status as an even bigger supplier.
    - posguy 9y ago
      They already sell the Aquos Crystal phones on Sprint, which are really nice phones for the price point. When I borrowed my buddy's on Sprint, I was able to pull over 100mbps down when we were out boating on Lake Washington. AT&T could only hit 15mbps and T-Mobile was sitting around 40Mbps comparatively.
      - boondaburrah 9y ago
        One of the things that made me mad was that they only brought the aquos crystal over, which is a gimmick phone. It's a pretty good mid-range phone, but I saw reviews slam it on specs, implying that Sharp couldn't compete. Sharp had much more powerful phones available at the time, but not in the US. The problem with the US market is that reviewers look for any superficial reason to slam you.
- Analemma_ 9y ago
  > Man, if you actually tried to sell your phones, Sharp, they might have sold? Funny concept. Smartphones are a brutal business to be in, especially in North America, where Apple and Samsung have basically locked up the high end of the market and everyone else is fighting for the scraps (and usually losing tons of money in the process). Probably Sharp just realized there was really no way to break in, especially considering they'd have to start from scratch with channels like carrier partnerships, retail presence, and advertising.
  - aianus 9y ago
    > considering they'd have to start from scratch with channels like carrier partnerships, retail presence, and advertising OnePlus has none of these and seems very successful.
    - givinguflac 9y ago
      There's a huge difference between "successful" enough to keep the company going and "successful" in the Apple/Samsung way of sales dominance in the market.
    - colordrops 9y ago
      Meh, I bought my first OnePlus phone a few months ago and while the phone itself is great, I've been thoroughly unimpressed with their support and unavailability of most accessories, both from OnePlus and 3rd parties. It's a huge turn off and I won't buy another one.
      - throwaway613834 9y ago
        What kind of support do you need for a smartphone? I've literally never even thought "maybe I should contact support" for a phone problem.
        jacalata 9y ago
        Tons of things, like "my phone is two weeks old and the battery life has halved"
- klondike_ 9y ago
  Sharp was at one point selling their Aquos phone on Sprint, I'm not sure if they still do though
- ndesaulniers 9y ago
  > Sharp for some reason refuses to sell their smartphones outside of Japan. Patents and different cellular bands (meaning radical antennae design).
bitmapbrother 9y ago
Sharp may be a supplier to them, as they are to Xiaomi, but I highly doubt they're a partner.
leemailll 9y ago
Sharp is selling a new phone in China, Sharp Aquos S2 (https://item.jd.com/4611415.html https://item.jd.com/4611415.html)

boondaburrah 9y ago

Sharp for some reason refuses to sell their smartphones outside of Japan. When I lived there I had a Sharp phone - and it was amazing. Smoothest non-stock android experience I've had. Recently they were selling [did this finally happen?] off their phone business to foxconn because it was falling behind. Man, if you actually tried to sell your phones, Sharp, they might have sold? Funny concept. If this phone is indeed a Sharp creation, I'm all over it.

a_rahmanshah 9y ago
Exactly! Sharp was the one who started this thin-bezel trend with Sharp Aquos Crystal in 2014.
- toastking 9y ago
  They also have great screen tech from their tv business. So if that's been transferred to their phone business it's gotta be great.
  - boondaburrah 9y ago
    Can confirm, the Sharp phone I owned in Japan had an absolutely fabulous screen, 1080p in 4.5" (I long for compact flagships), vivid colour with customisable profiles, including an electronically switchable privacy filter (using the toggle buttons in the notification shade) with 3 designs! The OS had been optimised to run smooth as butter, even with crapware. Too bad it also had to have all the docomo apps.
    - exikyut 9y ago
      What do you mean by switchable privacy filter? Something that reduced the viewing angle, perhaps by adjusting the color profile?
      - boondaburrah 9y ago
        There's a physical layer of the screen between the touch glass and the LCD that can be turned on, reducing the viewing angle. Anyone looking from the side will instead see a floral pattern, butterfly pattern, or something else I forget (stars?), depending on your setting. (You can't pick beyond these three because each pattern is physically its own layer it looks like) This is classic Japanese market electronics. Rather than increase bottom line, add loads of niceties to compete. My phone was a smartphone, a mobile wallet (osaifu-keitai, tap-to-pay), my train pass (osaifu-keitai is different hardware to android pay, as it works on turnstiles, even when the phone is dead/off, and has been a thing since 2004), a television (over the air!), an answering machine (no messages stored by carrier; the phone picks up if you don't answer and records it to the SD card), had those privacy filter things, and a really responsive camera. Sadly, it has a non-replaceable battery and refuses to update android unless it can connect to a docomo tower (I think docomo hosts it's phone's system updates on internal network only, not internet). I had to retire the phone long before the hardware gave out. I'm pretty much stuck with the phone's stock android because A) It's sharp, so the android hacking community hasn't heard of it. and B) I don't think any ROM would have drivers for any of the galapagos features. (especially I need osaifu-keitai, which as well as being a wallet and my train pass, has all of my arcade top scores associated with it (whenever I go, I just tap the phone and the arcade machine looks me up - unlocks all the bonuses I've achieved and my prefs))
        exikyut 9y ago
        > There's a physical layer of the screen between the touch glass and the LCD that can be turned on, reducing the viewing angle. Oh, wow. > Anyone looking from the side will instead see a floral pattern, butterfly pattern, or something else I forget (stars?), depending on your setting. Wow. > (You can't pick beyond these three because each pattern is physically its own layer it looks like) I see. > This is classic Japanese market electronics. Rather than increase bottom line, add loads of niceties to compete. TIL the Japanese are still ahead of us with stuff that's really nice, and the rest of the world succumbed to being flooded out with high-fructose corn syrup laden toy electronics that hack our attention spans. > My phone was a smartphone, a mobile wallet (osaifu-keitai, tap-to-pay), my train pass (osaifu-keitai is different hardware to android pay, as it works on turnstiles, even when the phone is dead/off, and has been a thing since 2004), a television (over the air!), an answering machine (no messages stored by carrier; the phone picks up if you don't answer and records it to the SD card), had those privacy filter things, and a really responsive camera. Wow. I can't find it now but I remember seeing a Japanese phone that had OTA TV, a GPS, and even a fingerprint reader on the back. I checked the date, and the thing was made in 2008. Shakes head > Sadly, it has a non-replaceable battery and refuses to update android unless it can connect to a docomo tower (I think docomo hosts it's phone's system updates on internal network only, not internet). I had to retire the phone long before the hardware gave out. Hah. > I'm pretty much stuck with the phone's stock android because A) It's sharp, so the android hacking community hasn't heard of it. and B) I don't think any ROM would have drivers for any of the galapagos features. Mmmm... > (especially I need osaifu-keitai, which as well as being a wallet and my train pass, has all of my arcade top scores associated with it (whenever I go, I just tap the phone and the arcade machine looks me up - unlocks all the bonuses I've achieved and my prefs)) _wow_ that is absolutely awesome. What's really sad is that if this sort of integration ever came to the US I know it'd be used in the most invasive ways possible :( I wonder if there are any videos documenting any of this out there. I wouldn't mind seeing this stuff in action, especially the game console bit. That's awesome.
CreepGin 9y ago
Yeah, Foxconn bought Sharp last year. One interesting thing I heard (from words of mouth) was Gou decided to follow through with the purchase after Sharp reduced the price by 35%. Gou was mighty proud of the acquisition for awhile until the Japanese Yen devalued considerably, leading him to speculate foul play from the Japanese in the original deal.
- zitterbewegung 9y ago
  So could this be Sharp / Foxconn testing the waters to start selling phones to american consumers?
  - CreepGin 9y ago
    Not sure about that. The move only seemed to reinforce Foxconn's status as an even bigger supplier.
  - posguy 9y ago
    They already sell the Aquos Crystal phones on Sprint, which are really nice phones for the price point. When I borrowed my buddy's on Sprint, I was able to pull over 100mbps down when we were out boating on Lake Washington. AT&T could only hit 15mbps and T-Mobile was sitting around 40Mbps comparatively.
    - boondaburrah 9y ago
      One of the things that made me mad was that they only brought the aquos crystal over, which is a gimmick phone. It's a pretty good mid-range phone, but I saw reviews slam it on specs, implying that Sharp couldn't compete. Sharp had much more powerful phones available at the time, but not in the US. The problem with the US market is that reviewers look for any superficial reason to slam you.
Analemma_ 9y ago
> Man, if you actually tried to sell your phones, Sharp, they might have sold? Funny concept. Smartphones are a brutal business to be in, especially in North America, where Apple and Samsung have basically locked up the high end of the market and everyone else is fighting for the scraps (and usually losing tons of money in the process). Probably Sharp just realized there was really no way to break in, especially considering they'd have to start from scratch with channels like carrier partnerships, retail presence, and advertising.
- aianus 9y ago
  > considering they'd have to start from scratch with channels like carrier partnerships, retail presence, and advertising OnePlus has none of these and seems very successful.
  - givinguflac 9y ago
    There's a huge difference between "successful" enough to keep the company going and "successful" in the Apple/Samsung way of sales dominance in the market.
  - colordrops 9y ago
    Meh, I bought my first OnePlus phone a few months ago and while the phone itself is great, I've been thoroughly unimpressed with their support and unavailability of most accessories, both from OnePlus and 3rd parties. It's a huge turn off and I won't buy another one.
    - throwaway613834 9y ago
      What kind of support do you need for a smartphone? I've literally never even thought "maybe I should contact support" for a phone problem.
      - jacalata 9y ago
        Tons of things, like "my phone is two weeks old and the battery life has halved"
klondike_ 9y ago
Sharp was at one point selling their Aquos phone on Sprint, I'm not sure if they still do though
ndesaulniers 9y ago
> Sharp for some reason refuses to sell their smartphones outside of Japan. Patents and different cellular bands (meaning radical antennae design).

bitmapbrother 9y ago

Sharp may be a supplier to them, as they are to Xiaomi, but I highly doubt they're a partner.

leemailll 9y ago

Sharp is selling a new phone in China, Sharp Aquos S2 (https://item.jd.com/4611415.html https://item.jd.com/4611415.html)