We haven’t heard much about Android One lately but Japan is about to get one. The last we heard about this was the Mobile 4G being added to Android N Preview. The GM 5 Plus was also introduced as a premium Android One device but with mid-range pricing. Since its relaunch in India, we’ve been waiting for it to arrive in other countries. This time, Japan gets lucky with the Sharp 507SH as it’s announced as the first Android One phone in the country.
For others who are not familiar with the Android One, it’s the Android series between the Google Play Edition and Nexus. It’s ready for emerging markets like India, Spain, Portugal, Africa, Thailand, Pakistan, Myanmar, Turkey, Philippines, and Indonesia. Most of the countries we mentioned are really emerging markets so why is Android One arriving in Japan?
Sharp 507SH is the first Android One handset in Japan. Actually, it’s the only Android One device there. We don’t know if there will be more but this particular launch tells us that the Android One team is expanding or at least removing the limitations. This Sharp phone is just a mid-range device and it’s nothing like the bezel-less Aquos Mini announced yesterday.
The phone comes equipped with a 5-inch IGZO LCD display, 720p resolution, octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617, 2GB RAM, 16GB onboard storage, microSD card slot, 13MP camera, 5MP front-facing cam, and a 3100mAh battery. The Sharp phone is waterproof which is a surprise considering it’s only a mid-range phone. The waterproof certification and huge battery make this Android One phone worthy of being available in Japan. No word on pricing but Y!Mobile will be offering the smartphone this July.
SOURCE: Google Japan blog
