Sharp's AQUOS SH-06D
will most probably never leave the Land of The Rising Sun. That doesn't
stop us, however, from lusting after its 4.5-inch. This 720p display
also manages 3D, spread across a slinky 10mm frame that houses NTT
DoCoMo's recently launched NOTTV
streaming broadcast system. The device arrives in pink, white and blue
options -- all provided with a matching dock and built-in aerial. Like
several eastern phones with the ability to tune into live TV broadcasts,
the AQUOS SH-06D has its own extendable antenna built into the side.
The device, despite its largely plastic build felt solid in our hand,
although the minuscule power and volume buttons proved difficult to
manipulate at times. The screen technology is still a closely guarded
secret, but it aims to bring both 3D functionality alongside a crisp HD
display performance during two-dimensional antics. Viewing angles are
great -- a welcome trend we've seen on plenty of handsets at this year's
MWC -- but the heavily customized Android 2.3 skin took away some of
that sheen. Applications are stowed away into several drop-down menus
that took some getting used to -- regardless of any language barrier.
Sharp hasn't revealed any plans to join its Japanese competitors
in the frenzied global smartphone market, but some import options
wouldn't go amiss. See why in our hands-on right after the break.
