|
3.5G Network |
1seg Digital TV |
NFC Osaifu Keitai |
N/A Biometry |
16.1 Megapixel |
N/A Optical Zoom |
|
297ppi 480 x 854px | 3.3" Screen Size |
3D LCD Type |
It's the year 2011 #pastfuturetechnology.
Android has arrived on flip phones, and the 007SH by SoftBank is the guinea pig. A pretty high-tech critter at that to be fair. Just like the SH-10C which I introduced a few days back - this phone is filled to the brim with tech. Unlike the SH-10C, it runs on Android. It can thus be labelled a "true" smartphone because technically speaking, most flip phones in Japan are running on variations of Symbian or Linux and are therefore somewhat smart. The closed nature of them disqualifies them from being true smartphones however.
So what makes the 007SH so special? Android 2.3.3 OS, 16.1Mpx camera with HD video recording, 3D touchscreen, IPX5/X7 water and dustproofing, 2-axis rotating screen, very decent Veilview (more on that separately), Osaifu Keitai NFC Mobile Wallet, 1Seg TV receiver and recorder, dual-band 3G, tri-band GSM and Wi-Fi b/g/n with hotspot functionality. Phewww. OK. Given the smartphone nature, you can pretty much do whatever you want with this phone. Use they keypad or fold it for touchscreen-only operation, it's up to you.
Now, the "Hybrid" moniker is spot-on. It's the best of both worlds, and yet, it still predominantly handles like a feature phone. That's a real shame, because Sharp are on to something but haven't got the recipe quite right yet.
As an English speaker, typing messages via touchscreen is intuitive, but quickly becomes a huge burden when in the flip-position. Games optimised for touchscreen will work well in the viewfinder position and? not so well the other way round. The constant transforming of the phone depending on what one wants to do with it is tiring, and rather redundant as the slate-devices are proving. But the idea is novel. As a guinea pig, it's doing a great job but will this formula stick?