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Retina Display Comes to Android with Sharp ISO3

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To call the touchscreen found on the new Sharp ISO3 a retina display might not be totally true — Sharp foregoes any such branding — but the pixels are there plain as day to speak for themselves. This Japan only release for KDDI au sports a screen running at 960×640 resolution, easily besting every other Android handset on the market and matching up to the pixel count of the iPhone 4. The screen also brings along Advanced Super View technology for improved viewing angles.

Other big-time specs rounding out the handset include a 9.6MP autofocus camera with image stabilization and a one-seg TV tuner. Now for the “too good to be true” part: the phone comes with Android 2.1 out of the box. But if that is the biggest complaint we can throw at the handset (at least on paper) then we have to be at least a bit envious of our friends in the land of the rising sun. While the phone will feature global CDMA and can therefore be imported for use in the US and other areas, no plans are in palce to offer the handset outside of Japan.

[via Engadget]

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23 Comments

  1. iPhone wannabe. ick.

    1. I have the iPod Touch 4th Gen with Retina Display and the Samsung Moment and friends with various other Android phones and iPhones from 3G to 4. There is absolutely nomcomparison – the Retina display blows every other screen away. I prefer the Android OS for the flexibility and customizable options, but I can’t give up the iPod because of the screen! iOS definitely has a…smoother more elegant and polished feel to it, and there’s also no contest between the way apps look – I’ve totally geeked out comparing the same apps for both platforms and again, the iOS versions are always more attractive. Part of this is the ultra readability of the type on Retina displays even for my aging vision (getting old SUCKS!) but the choice of colors and whatnot is always better on iOS. Does Apple have guidelines for app design or something? Some of the android versions look like they were thrown together by amateurs with garish color choices and so forth. Now obviously this sort of thing is heavily subjective, but I always ask what the other person prefers to gauge others opinions, and iOS wins 95% of the time. And before anyone throws a fit – I want Android to be the best option, and it’s improving but not there yet. I want Retina resolution displays and the smooth responsiveness that the iPod and iPhone have so I can finally be happy with One Device! So for now still varying iPod Touch and Android 2.1 until the ultimate Android (3?) device blows everything else away!!! :-)

  2. ok….. I’ll be keepin’ my Droid X

  3. Too bad the phone itself is fugly. Let HTC get their hands on those screens so I can get a good upgrade from my EVO.

  4. Why would they want it to look EXACTLY like the iphone?! Dumb marketing!

  5. That’s a big ol’ lump of nothing up there are the top. Seems odd – why not chop the phone down or expand the screen up? I guess the sensor for that 9mp camera needs its space!

  6. Doesn’t look bad, just plain. 2.1 isn’t bad, as long as it’s in line for an eventual upgrade. Other than that, looks like a killer phone.

  7. nice. if people are matching the iphone resolution, means it’s only going to come on more android phones down the road!

  8. iPhone is going to have a hard time competing with android as more of these hi-res displays come out on android phones. While iphone releases a new phone every year, android is releasing 2 dozen+ phones a year… writing is on the wall.

  9. throw another 1/2″ on the screen and try again!!!

  10. I really think the next gen Android phones and tablets need a higher resolution if they are going to sell me one next year. I think 1066×600 would be the best resolution since it would make the phones and tablets 16:9. That way media companies can start pushing movies and HD onto the phones. They could also do 1280×720. Either way.

  11. I bet the lawyers in Cupertino are already getting their complaints translated to Japanese.

  12. ^^ lol

    so who’s making this display? Is LG making the retina like they are for Apple? I am still heavily convinced that the Super Amoled performs much better in real life. [Used Both] I must admit though, if you want to look at webpages or text really really small, the IPS Retina is the way to go :)

  13. The ‘retina display’ is not defined by resolution, but by pixel density. Is this a 300+ DPI screen?

  14. I’m pretty happy with the my 1yr old Droid and the “Best picture quality and color accuracy”.

    Resolution isn’t everything.

    http://www.displaymate.com/Smartphone_ShootOut_1.htm

  15. IPS is nice as a short term solution due to the shortage of OLED manufacturers, it’s basically the same as a rearranged TN screen for better viewing angles.

    If I could choose between a 960×480 IPS screen and a 960×480 OLED screen I’d immediately pick the latter one.

  16. Hoping to see this Sharp ISO3 display on more Android phones.

  17. Keepin’ my droid x. However, that screen res and megapixel count hopefully says something for upcoming super phones; this doesn’t look to be one of them. How big is the screen? doesn’t look very big.

  18. Too high resolution on screens smaller than 4″ doesn’t do that much good. And why are they bragging about it running 2.1? IMHO pre-froyo kinda sucks.

  19. What a boring phone. Apple is still on top. Just wait for the iPhone 5 to come out and droid owners will feel embarrased to take their phone out :) iPhone > others

  20. Excuse me, but I’m tired of people exaggerating how this phone copied the i-phone, do u know that Japan had touchscreen way before everyone else. Apple did not invent retina display, they relied on Japanese engineer. The same goes for Samsung galaxy s, such as the super amoled and hummingbird cpu.

  21. The I4 display is other-worldly. Its easy to see pixels on android phones that’s what makes them a bit fuzzy. I defy anyone to find a pixel on the I4. I prefer android but I need to be able to get a decent screen soon. When I’m around friends with i4’s I never put my vibrant near them. Its embarrassing

  22. I’m quite over the socalled perfect iphone screen. How many people have the time or inclination to look at screens via a magnifying glass let alone most people over 40 even noticing the difference (decrease in vision). Get real! However, most are impressed at the vibrancy of the HTC galaxy’s super amoled screen, which is clearly noticeable despite its lesser resolution.

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