Mobile phones are constantly evolving and improving to the point that they are akin to the PC market of the mid-nineties, when it seemed as if your desktop was horribly outdated six months after purchase. Bag phones became brick phones, which evolved into the iconic flip phone. The advent of the camera phone turned average cell phone owners into overnight paparazzi. Camera quality and screen resolution have continued to increase at exponential rates leaving us with what amounts to a point and shoot camera that can also make phone calls. What’s next you ask?
Sharp would like to answer that question for you, mobile 3D. According to a Reuter’s report, a company spokeswoman announced today that Sharp is making plans to launch a “smartphone featuring a 3D panel that can be viewed without special glasses”. If anyone possesses the technology to rapidly roll out this level of “mobile” 3D, Sharp would be the one considering they already demonstrated their 3D parallax barrier display this past April, which was designed for the upcoming Nintendo 3DS portable 3D capable gaming device.
Somewhat of a low-key player Sharp, while holding the title of Japan’s largest mobile phone maker, has failed to crack into the explosive smartphone market. Currently their only foray into the smartphone market was the ill-fated Microsoft Kin. Being first to market with a 3D smartphone will definitely earn Sharp some early-adopter sales and industry bragging rights while possibly giving Sharp the edge they need to solidly break into the high-growth smartphone market. Whether the true 3D capabilities will be used for entertainment-only purposes such as gaming, pictures/videos or as some form of productivity-enhancement remains to be seen.
Further details on the phone or its features are not available at this time, however Sharp’s spokeswoman did say that there was a likelihood of an onboard 3D camera. No firm launch date as yet been set, but the company does have plans to have the phone to market by the end of the year.
