Sharp, KDDI Intro Android Smartphone

Sharp IS03

Sharp on Monday launched its Android-based "mobile wallet" high-definition smartphone, the IS03, for Japan's KDDI au network.

The IS03 has a double 3.5-inch VGA LCD multi-touch screen with a 960 x 640 pixel resolution, making it akin to the iPhone 4. The handset has a 1-GHz Snapdragon QSD8650 processor; its dimensions are approximately 2.5" x 4.8" x 0.5" and it weighs approximately one-third of a pound.

The IS03 runs on Android 2.1 Eclair, with a planned upgrade to 2.2, although no date has been announced, and also comes with Flash Lite 4.0 installed, with support for both the Android Market and KDDI's "au One Market." The device also features an auto-focus, 9.57 pixel, charge-coupled device (CCD) camera; EVDO Rev A connectivity; and support for 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. It also supports high-quality movie recording, Sharp said, and has support for microSD memory cards up to 32 GB.

The smartphone has a pull-out antenna on top, which supports Japan's 1-Seg mobile digital TV for watching programs on the go, as well as GPS. It has an estimated talk time of 230 minutes and up to 200 hours of estimated standby time.

Because the device is described as a global CDMA smartphone, it can be used in other countries with CDMA networks. It also comes with an Osaifu-Keitai chip so that the phone can be used in subways and other participating services to make contactless payments. The IS03 will allow quick data communication between two phones with its infrared feature.

''This handset single-handedly provides both the functions of existing mobile phones and those of smartphones,'' KDDI senior managing director Takashi Tanaka said during a news conference, according to iStockAnalyst.

The device is the second Android smartphone in the IS series, Sharp said. It comes in orange, white, and black and will be available in Japan in late November. Pricing information will be given closer to the release date. It is not known whether Sharp will make the handset available in the United States or Europe.