Sharp Aquos Crystal is a Fresh Take on Smartphone Design With Smaller Bezels For a Better Viewing Experience

Once again, there’s another smartphone on the market trying to make a name for itself. In the oversaturation of the smartphone industry, you would think that companies would start running out of ideas. Once again, I am pleasantly surprised by the results. A new company is trying new things which forces everybody to keep pushing the envelope. The company is Sharp and, with their reputation in televisions, have decided to launch their first US smartphone in three years. It’s called the Aquos Crystal and it is an incredible looking device that takes the accepted smartphone design and flips it on its head, quite literally.

Edge to Edge

The defining feature of the Crystal is the edge to edge display. For once, this is literal statement, one that I have been waiting to make for some time now. The idea of a screen with any borders is not a new one but has yet to be implemented in the real world. Thank you, Sharp, for being the first of hopefully many to adopt this style choice. The result is a strikingly gorgeous design that emphasizes the 5 inch display

The lack of bezels on the top of the phone provide a bit of an issue when it comes to camera placement on the phone. Sharp has decided to place the cameras at the bottom, which actually makes a bit more sense with how I hold my phone. I’d be much less likely to touch the lens and let’s you grip around the main body of the phone as  Just goes to show you that not every smartphone design choice has been revealed yet.

Budget Friendly Beauty

On the inside, the specifications are mid range which may be disappointing for those who want absolute top end devices but that’s not what Sharp is trying to accomplish here. The internals are powerful enough to keep everything smoothly, there shouldn’t be any significant problems with most normal tasks. Part of this is possible because the screen is only 720p as opposed to the standard 1080p and the increasingly popular 2160p, aka Quad HD.

Before you disregard the Crystal as just another smartphone, let me tell you about the price. For only $239, you can buy this gorgeous, unique phone unlocked, not tied to any carrier and thus you can choose any network you wish and not have to pay any subsidies. There are options for discounts through different carriers but the unlocked price is quite impressive. I’m going to keep my eye out for when it goes on sale!