Japanese tech giant Sharp decided to shift its focus to the European market in terms of smartphone sales. Since then, we have seen a couple of Sharp models such as the Aquos D10, C10, B10 and others. Despite the seeming success of the models released, the tech company is still a far off from the top tier category of smartphone manufacturers in terms of market share. In a bid to further ramp up its relevance in the industry, Sharp may have concluded plans to launch a foldable smartphone in the near future.
A patent by Sharp suggests that the company may have commenced development of a foldable phone. The patent was actually filed in 2017 with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). The sketch of the design shows that the Sharp foldable may come with a clamshell design. With such a design, we should be looking forward to a display which would be around 4 inches when the device is folded. The aspect ratio may also be a source for concern but we believe the device may feature a wider display. Another good thing about this clamshell is that it makes the device to be compact such that it woud easy to carry in the pocket. LetsGoDigital eqully poted some 3D renders designed based on the sketch. The 3D renders, no doubt, gives us better idea of the design.
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This year will likely see the birth of several foldable phones. Already, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Fold and Huawei, the Mate X. Xiaomi had also teased its foldabble phone which we expect to drop this year. Other OEMs such as LG, Motorola, and OPPO are also said to hve got a foldable phone in the works. It is yet to be seen if Sharp will release its own foldable phone this year. The clamshell phones of yore are said to be popular in Japan even after they have gone into extinction in other markets. As at five years back, 1 in 4 phones sold in Japan had the clamshell design.
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