Sharp Aquos R6 launched, featuring world's largest smartphone camera sensor

The newly launched Aquos R6 is the first to feature a one-inch large imaging sensor, which means it currently has the largest smartphone camera sensor in the world.

The Sharp Aquos R6. (Sharp)

Sharp has announced the launch of its new Aquos R6 smartphone in Japan, along with a new partnership with Leica for the cameras on the new device. The newly launched device is the first to feature a one-inch large imaging sensor, which means it currently has the largest smartphone camera sensor in the world.

Unlike the rest of the smartphone world, which is currently following the trend of quad-camera modules, Sharp's new Aquos R6 has only one rear camera sensor and an f/1.9 “Summicron” lens with Leiz. But the 20 MP sensor is one inch in size, and is comparable to Sony's RX100 cameras, according to The Verge, which suggests that it could be capable of taking excellent smartphone photos.

On the display front, the Aquos R6 has a 6.6-inch OLED screen at 2,730 x 1,260 pixels. However what is really interesting is that Sharp has managed to deliver a variable refresh rate of 1 to 240 hertz on the screen, which could offer the best of both worlds, power-saving and excellent performance, when needed.

Under the hood, the Aquos R6 will sport a Snapdragon 888 processor paired with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. These are standard specs for a high-end device, but the company has paired a large 5,000mAh battery which should come in handy considering the chipset supports 5G and a high refresh rate. Sharp hasn't yet revealed what the device will cost – or when we are likely to see the devices in other countries, but says that the device will be available later in June from carriers in Japan.