Japanese handset maker Sharp, after unveiling the country’s first Android One phone, has now unveiled a new smartphone featuring physical call, home, and message buttons. This is the first known Android 6.0 Marshmallow running smartphone sporting physical buttons for call and message. The physical buttons allow quick access to phone’s dialler and messages.
The Sharp Basio 2 (SHV36) smartphone will go on sale in Japan starting August 5 and will come in Dark Blue, Dark Red, and Gold colours. It is targeted at senior citizens and also feature three quick on-screen buttons that can be assigned for favourite contacts. Unfortunately, the pricing of the handset has not been announced yet and will be revealed at the time of local release.
For specifications, the Basio 2 features a 5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) IGZO Corning Gorilla Glass 4 display and is powered by octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor coupled with 2GB of RAM. The 16GB of storage can be expanded further via microSD card.
The Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based Basio 2 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera and it is protected by a sliding cover. The cover protects the rear camera lens. There is an LED flash on board as well. It also sports a 5-megapixel front camera. The smartphone also features IPX5/IPX8 certification which means it is water and dust resistant.
On the connectivity front, the Sharp Basio 2 will come with 4G LTE and supports LTE Cat. 6. Other options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Micro-USB. It is backed by a 2810mAh battery. The Japanese company has also not revealed any plans to launch the Sharp Basio 2 outside of its home country.