Sharp Tries To Kick-Start The 3D Handset Revolution

Reveals 2 Glasses-Free 3D Android Handsets

Nov 4 2010, 1:46pm CDT | by Robert Evans

Sharp Tries To Kick-Start The 3D Handset Revolution

While Samsung and Toshiba are busy trying to start a 3D revolution in the HDTV market, Sharp is trying to do the same thing with smartphones. We reported earlier that they have two versions of a new Android smartphone coming out. Both offer glasses-free 3D.

3D isn't practical on a mobile device unless it is glasses-free. Thankfully, the tech to make that feasible has existed for years. The Sharp Galapagos is the first modern Android smartphone with the technology, though. It packs a 1 GHz processor and 3.8" display. It can handle 720p video display and the camera is 8 MP. The touchscreen-only version hits in December, while the one with a sliding QWERTY will be out in February.

So what are the odds that we'll see this product hit a carrier in the United States? Pretty low, and largely dependent upon the success of Nintendo's 3DS. If it proves to be a hot seller, breaking records left and right, Sharp might be motivated to find a buyer. Hell, one of the carriers would probably realize the benefit of being able to hop onto that fame-train. They might approach Sharp.

If the 3DS is a bust (or not a wild success) we may have to wait a while longer. It's telling that these devices are as competitive as they are, though. Rather than relying on the 3D aspect, Sharp went to some effort to craft an impressive high-end smartphone. That could mean Sharp anticipates the possibility of throwing these babies into the highly-competitive US smartphone market.

The Galapagos is nothing less than high-end Android gaming rig. It will come loaded with several Capcom titles, and the QWERTY version has a thumbpad that would make a decent smartphone 'joystick'. Android Gingerbread is believed to be heavily focused around improving Android's gaming experience. What better way to interest gamers in Android than by offering 3D gaming without the hassle of glasses or a new TV?

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Robert Evans
The excitement about new smartphones, tablets and anything mobile drive Robert to unearth the latest rumors and developments in this fast moving space. He adopted 4G as soon as it become available and knows where the mobile market is going.
Robert can be contacted directly at robert@i4u.com.