Japan’s Sharp Aquos R7 is the cure for bad smartphone design

Enlarge / The Sharp Aquos R7. (credit: Sharp)

The latest entry in our ongoing coverage of "cool phones you can't buy in the US" is the Sharp Aquos R7.

This phone hits Japan in July, and it's proof that you can make a differentiated smartphone in this day and age. Sharp is no stranger to unique designs, and with the R7, it is correcting many of the baffling design decisions coming from other smartphone manufacturers.

First, Sharp is continuing its trend of shipping absolutely massive camera sensors in its smartphones. The back of the phone is dominated by a single 47.2 MP camera with a 1-inch sensor and a large lens. Most smartphone manufacturers ship three to four questionably useful smaller rear cameras on the back of their devices, but Sharp is giving people one giant camera, which has the potential to produce better-quality pictures.