Clamshell phones were a once trendy design used for cellphones all over the world. But since the inception of smartphones, the trend seems to have died down, as it didn’t make its way over to the smartphone world. Until today. In the land of the rising sun, Japan, it appears that the clamshell form factor is still fashionable and it looks like Sharp is about to capitalize on that fact with the introduction of the Sharp AQUOS Phone The Hybrid 007SH, the world’s first Android clamshell phone.
The Hybrid 007SH packs a 3.4″ WVGA 3D New Mobile ASV touchscreen, a 16.1 megapixel rear camera with 720p video recording mode as well as 3D photo and 3D video mode, AQUOS TV connector, WiFi, Bluetooth and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). To top it off, it has an IPX5/IPX7 waterproof body just in case it does become the victim of your party drink. And just like any clamshell, it features a flip out numerical keypad (similar to the IS11H introduced yesterday).
Clever move by Sharp there – disguising an Android phone as a feature phone is going to draw a lot of people into the world of smartphones. We’ll probably never see this phone on our shores, but it’s nice to know that other companies out there are bringing it to the table.
UPDATE 5/24: It turns out that the 007SH isn’t the world’s first clamshell Android phone. There have been other clamshell Android phones released in the market before: the Samsung SCH-W899 and Sharp SH7218U are some examples.
Filed in . Read more about Android, Aquos, Clamshell, Japan and Sharp.