Created: 30 November 2017 · Last edited: 20 September 2026

With sales scheduled to begin in mid-January 2018, here is a new Android One device by Sharp for the SoftBank and for SoftBank-owned carrier Y!Mobile, code-named S3-SH.

The Android One S3 (S3-SH) is, as expected for the series, an entry-level smartphone that should meet the needs of those looking for a convenient and sturdy device that doesn't cost a fortune and whose battery can last them several days on one charge.

This is why the S3 has an IGZO display of the in-cell-touch-sensors type, with a Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 px), and the S-PureLED backlight for vivid colours and improved colour-reproducibility.

Sturdiness is ensured by IPX5/IPX8 waterproofing, IP6X dust-proofing, and MIL-STD-810G shock-proofing. The battery is 2700 mAh and should easily offer 2, 3 or even 4 days on a single charge thanks to the IGZO technology and Sharp power-saving systems.

Onboard the Android One S3 is a 13.1-megapixel main camera that doesn't have image stabilisation, nor camera shake reduction, so photo quality might not be brilliant. The main camera can record Full HD video. The inner camera is 5 MP – like in the previous Android One models, it is wide-angle but the actual value is unannounced – so it's probably 85°.

To power this device, a Snapdragon 430 processor is installed, having four 1.4 GHz and four 1.1 GHz cores. The operating memory is 3 GB and the built-in storage is 32 GB, expandable to up to 256 GB using microSDXC cards.

The Android One S3 supports LTE, AXGP, W-CDMA, and GSM frequencies (details below). Also included are Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS.

It does not support Osaifu-Keitai/NFC or Digital TV.

The Android One S3 measures W 71 × H 144 × D 8.5 mm and weighs approx. 143 grams. It is offered in white, navy black, pink, and turquoise.

The S3 ships with Android 8.0 Oreo pre-installed and since this is an Android One series phone, it will be receiving regular updates and upgrades from Google for a period of no less than 2 years. It received an upgrade to Android 8.1 on 8 May 2018. On 11 December 2018, the upgrade to Android 9.0 became available. The upgrade to Android 10 rolled out on 2nd April 2020.