Sharp Aquos Crystal - Bezelless Smartphone!

The Sharp Aquos Crystal is presented as a bold design experiment that centers on a bezel-less look, achieved by a minimal frame around the 5-inch 720p display and a distinctive large chin at the bottom. Marques Brownlee notes how the glass fronts the device and edges chamfer into the metal sides, creating a smooth, seamless appearance that makes the phone look almost like a small TV in your hand. He praises Sharp for taking a risk with a design that breaks conventional phone aesthetics, comparing the effect to a modern take on edge-to-edge screens rather than simply shrinking bezels. The video explains how the front-facing camera sits on the bottom chin and uses a vibration-based earpiece mechanism, so there is no traditional earpiece at the top, a trade-off that becomes a design feature rather than a sacrifice. He highlights the immersive viewing and gaming experience offered by edge-to-edge playback and the unique camera viewfinder that benefits from the uninterrupted display. The speaker notes that the phone’s 720p resolution and 5-inch size render content clearly enough for casual media consumption, while acknowledging the compromises of a thick side profile, durability concerns without a bezel shield, and the absence of a removable battery. The review also covers hardware basics like a low-to-mid range Qualcomm chip, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, a microSD slot, Harman Kardon audio branding, and Sharp’s software touches in Android 4.4. Overall, Brownlee emphasizes that the Aquos Crystal is not a flagship but a proof-of-concept that pushes design boundaries, and he expresses enthusiasm for more experimental devices from manufacturers, even if this model isn’t the one he’d personally choose. He concludes by urging viewers to appreciate the risk-taking approach and encourages industry players to explore more unconventional ideas.

Topics · technology · mobile_devices · design · electronics