We've seen lots of smartphones lately that've embraced the notch, but the new Sharp Aquos R2 Compact embraces it so much that it's got two notches.
The Sharp Aquos R2 Compact is now official in Japan, and one of its most notable features is that it's got two notches: one at the top of the screen and one at the bottom. This bottom notch does serve a purpose, as it's home to the phone's fingerprint reader, allowing Sharp to slim the bottom bezel found on its previous Aquos R Compact and give this new model more screen.
The display on the Sharp Aquos R2 Compact is a 5.2-inch 2280x1080 screen, and there's an 8MP camera in the notch at the top of that display that offers face unlock. Around back there's a 22.6MP main camera with optical image stabilization. The Aquos R2 Compact also has an aluminum frame for a more premium feel and a waterproof design.
Inside the phone is an octa-core Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of built-in storage, and Sharp has thrown in a microSD card slot so that you can add more storage if you'd like. A 2500mAh battery is powering this whole package, and there's a USB-C port for charging that battery as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio. The Aquos R2 Compact comes preloaded with Android 9 Pie.
The Sharp Aquos R2 Compact will launch at SoftBank in Japan in January.
Obviously the dual notch design won't be for everyone, but if you don't mind the Aquos R2 Compact's two notches, it actually looks like a pretty nice device. It's got one of the smaller smartphone displays we've seen recently, but that doesn't mean that it compromises on specs, as it's also got higher-end specs like a Snapdragon 845, a 22.6MP camera, and Android 9 Pie. The bad news is that there have been no announcements about any Aquos R2 Compact launches outside of Japan, and we wouldn't hold out breath waiting for one either.
Would you buy the Sharp Aquos R2 Compact if it were sold in your country?
