First GSM with VGA display - Sharp 904

Today Vodafone K.K. presented the latest addition to their portfolio, Vodafone 904SH, made by Sharp. This is the first GSM phone* with VGA display (480x640 pixels).

The new W-CDMA clamshell device has an internal 2.4" 262K colors VGA resolution display, which is four times better than the QVGA resolution. You can see pictures of this VGA display from the 3GSM Congress here. The external display is single-line monochrome with 12 x 72 pixels resolution. The 904SH also has Motion Control Sensor. This new technology enables measuring handset posture in all directions in 3D. It also has the first Face Recognition technology of Vodafone K.K.

The phone has almost the same measures as its famous predecessor Sharp 903 and it seems that it has the same camera - 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus and 2x optical zoom; another video call camera is also presented. The internal memory of the new Sharp 904 is 20 MB, it can be easily expanded with the help of the miniSD card slot. The phone has 3D surround sound support. Vodafone 904SH supports tri-band GSM networks and has Bluetooth and Infrared connectivity. It will be available in April 2006.

*Not counting the big HTC communicators like Qtek 9000, O2 XDA Exec and i-mate JASJAR with 3.6" VGA displays.

Vodafone K.K. press release

Vodafone K.K. unveils first 3G mobile handset with VGA display

Vodafone K.K. today announces the Vodafone 904SH by Sharp, the first mobile handset to feature a VGA liquid crystal display (LCD). The 904SH is scheduled to go on sale in late April 2006 as a new 3G handset.

The 904SH’s VGA LCD has four times the resolution of current QVGA*3 LCDs, making it possible to reproduce visuals and render small characters with more vividness and clarity than before. The 904SH is a new flagship model that supports a full range of new services and features. By using Bluetooth®, friends and acquaintances can enjoy new communication services like instant messaging or multiplayer games within a 10-metre radius free of charge. The 904SH is also the first handset to feature a new Motion Control Sensor, which is capable of measuring handset posture in all directions in 3D. Customers will be able to enjoy a host of new applications that fully take advantage of the new sensor’s enhanced accuracy. The 904SH also has Vodafone K.K.’s first Face Recognition feature for enhanced security and privacy protection.

The main features of the 904SH are as follows:

First mobile handset to feature ultra-high resolution VGA LCD
The 904SH features an ultra-high resolution 2.4-inch VGA (Video Graphics Array: 480 x 640 pixel) LCD. VGA LCDs have four times the resolution of current QVGA (Quarter Video Graphics Arrary: 240 x 320 pixel) LCDs, making it possible to reproduce visuals and render large fonts and small characters with more vividness and clarity than before. Game and video content that takes full advantage of the VGA display is also currently under development.
Screen image comparisons
QQVGA (120 x 160 pixels) QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) VGA (480 x 640 pixels)

Full specifications: 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with 2x optical zoom, 3D surround sound compatible stereo speakers
The 904SH has a full range of leading-edge mobile handset hardware features housed in its elegant and colourful design. In addition to the 2.4-inch VGA LCD, the 904SH has a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with 2x optical zoom. The handset also features stereo speakers that support 3D surround sound for realistic audio playback of Chaku-Uta Full® music downloads and tracks ripped from CDs and transferred to memory cards (sold separately).

New concept communication services that use Bluetooth®
The 904SH supports new concept communication services that enable nearby instant messaging and multiplayer games free of charge by using Bluetooth® technology. The 904SH has a total of 5 pre-installed Bluetooth® applications. “Near Chat”* allows friends and acquaintances to enjoy instant messaging within a 10-metre radius. 4 trial version multiplayer games allow customers to enjoy, such as block breaking and puzzle game face offs. *Due to the characteristics of Bluetooth®, unsolicited requests may come from other parties when using this application. Concerned guardians may use a PIN lock function to prevent usage by minors.

First handset to feature new Motion Control Sensor
The 904SH is Vodafone K.K.’s first handset to feature a newly-developed Motion Control Sensor, which is capable of measuring handset posture in all directions in 3D. The new sensor can measure the acceleration speeds of up and down movements with even greater accuracy than before. By using the Motion Control Sensor with supported content for Vodafone live! NAVI, a GPS navigation service, maps can be viewed according to the direction a customer is facing.

Face Recognition that recognises an owner’s facial features
The 904SH is Vodafone K.K.’s first handset to offer Face Recognition, which can authenticate an owner’s facial features. When the clamshell handset is opened, the sub-camera by the main display automatically activates to authenticate customers by sensing their eye and mouth facial features within one second. This makes it possible prevent unauthorized usage by a third party in cases of handset loss to ensure security and privacy.

Flagship model fully supports 3G services like Vodafone live! FeliCa for e-money and e-ticketing and Vodafone live! NAVI for GPS navigation
The 904SH is a flagship model that fully supports current 3G services such as Vodafone live! FeliCa, Vodafone live! NAVI, Vodafone live! BB and brand new ones like Vodafone Address Book, which lets customers back up their handset address book to a network server, Vodafone live! CAST, which delivers mobile magazines overnight, and Deru Moji 3D Pictogram Display, which displays 3D animations in received mails.

Digital Comic Viewer with faster rendering and improved ease-of-use
The 904SH comes with a digital comic viewer, “ComicSurfing for Vodafone”, with improved rendering speeds compared to previous Vodafone K.K. 3G handsets, a function that searches for the next part once a story is finished, and an organizing function for easy sorting of large volumes of digital comics. The 904SH also has a dedicated book folder for saving digital comics that have been downloaded from Vodafone live! to handset memory. Previously customers had to download digital comics individually to view them, but with this enhancement they can now enjoy their digital comics whenever they like by saving multiple comics to handset memory.

Wireless software upgrades
The 904SH is Vodafone K.K.’s first handset to support wireless software upgrades. This service enables customers to quickly download upgrade files over the network to overwrite software when necessary, thereby eliminating the need to visit a Vodafone shop to upgrade handset software.