NTT DoCoMo getting Sharp Aquos SH-01D in December

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NTT DoCoMo getting Sharp Aquos SH-01D in December

Handset may even get US release, recently spotted at FCC

By MARK JONES

Published: 25 November, 2011

READ MORE: US | Sharp | Handset | Android

Yet another Sharp Aquos handset has been announced for NTT DoCoMo and this time it's the SH-01D. Bearing all the trademarks of the range it looks like a promising device and is due to be released in Japan December 2. The handset was first announced back in September when it was confirmed that it would also be carried by KDDI.

Key features of the new Aquos include a 4.5" display which utilises glasses-free 3D display technology, a 12.1mp camera and a dual-core 1GHz processor. Other key specs include 1GB of RAM, a front-facing camera and a battery that is said to last for 450mins of 3G talk time. Running Android 2.3 it will also offer Japanese users a built-in TV tuner as well as a micro SD slot for cards up to 32GB. In addition to all this it's also waterproof to a certain degree and is supposedly safe from spills and splashes.

With their large 3D displays and high-res cameras there's no doubt that the Aquous range would appeal to consumers in the west. In addition to its Aquos handsets Sharp has also been responsible for a number of Disney themed phones in Japan.

While these phones haven't been made available outside of Sharp's homeland plans to release the devices abroad have been mentioned in the past and if a FCC filing earlier this month is anything to by the then handset could well makes its way over to the US. The filing did not give any indication what carrier it would be landing at though.

If Sharp does have plans for a North American release it's keeping tight lipped about it but given that Panasonic has revealed intentions of selling its devices in Europe and the US this week it could be that the time is ripe for Sharp to make a similar move as well.