Sharp has just announced the Pro version of the Aquos R9, which it unveiled in May. And just like that, the new model will launch only in Japan (in December) before a wider release with availability in Taiwan, Indonesia and Singapore.
Sharp Aquos R9 Pro
The Sharp Aquos R9 Pro has three 50.3MP cameras on the back and what is called the Vario-Sumicron camera system, which was developed under the supervision of Leica.
The camera setup now includes a 65mm telephoto lens (f/2.6), which was missing on the vanilla R9. This camera offers 2.8x optical magnification and can reach up to 20x digital zoom. It is based on a much larger 1/1.56” sensor with Dolby Vision support for video recording. The lens has optical image stabilization (OIS).
But if you want bigger, there’s a huge 1/0.98” sensor inside the main 50.3MP camera. Yes, it is larger than the 1-inch type sensor we have seen in many flagships. This camera has a 23mm (86°) f/1.8 lens with OIS.
The third camera on the rear is a 50.3MP ultra-wide camera with a 13mm lens (122°, f/2.2), which can also capture macro images. Finally, on the front is a fourth 50.3MP with a 23mm f/2.2 lens (84°). One last thing to mention before we move on to the camera, there is a physical shutter key on the side of the phone. You can long press it to launch the camera and use a half press to focus.
The Sharp Aquos R9 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8S Gen 3. It’s a strange decision from Sharp, considering this phone isn’t cheap and previous Pro models have used flagship Snapdragons. At least the company didn’t skimp on RAM and equipped the phone with 12GB. It also has 512GB storage.
The chipset is helped by a vapor chamber cooling system that draws heat into a ring around the camera to dissipate heat. This camera ring can also hold accessories such as ND or polarized filters for the camera.
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 with a great cooling system
On the front, the 6.7” QHD+ display (1,440 x 3,120px) is a Pro IGZO OLED panel with a variable refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 240Hz. There is a Qualcomm ultrasonic fingerprint reader built into the display.
The phone is launching with Android 14 out of the box. It will receive 3 OS updates and security patches for a total of 5 years. The phone has been given IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7 (BE) and Bluetooth 5.4. It runs on a 5,000mAh battery, but we didn’t see any details on charging speed.
5,000mAh Battery • AI Smart
There is some AI built into the software. For example, it can transcribe a voicemail and display it as summarized text. It can also listen to your phone calls and pick up keywords, which will be added to your Notes app.
The official case has a shoulder strap
Sharp Aquos R9 Pro is launching in Japan with DoCoMo as its carrier partner, but its online store hasn’t listed the price yet. The expected figure is JPY 190,000 (ie $1,235). Sharp will also sell a sleek case with a shoulder strap to carry the R9 Pro like a real camera.
