Created: 3 October 2018 · Last edited: 22 September 2026
Sharp announced the entry-level AQUOS sense2 on 3rd October 2018.
The AQUOS sense2 comes with a 5.5-inch IGZO panel with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels (FHD+) and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The frame has been further reduced compared with the 2017 AQUOS sense (SHV40), increasing the screen area by some 23%. The display utilises Sharp's Rich Color Mobile Technology, found on all recent devices and adopted from its AQUOS TVs. The display supports the digital cinema standard (DCI-P3) wide-colour gamut. The built-in video player application also supports virtual HDR for movie playback, both for downloaded and streaming content and for self-made videos. High-resolution audio playback (WAV/FLAC) is also supported.
With the touch sensors built into the IGZO display panel, the AQUOS sense2 not only benefits from lower power consumption but also allows smooth operation with wet hands.
The rear camera has a 12.1-megapixel large-pixel sensor (1.25 μm), a 25% increase in pixel size compared with the SHV40, and introduces AI Auto to the low-end series for the first time. This automatically selects the optimum shooting mode by recognising the subject and scene being photographed. The aperture is f/2.0, which isn't bad for a low-end smartphone. The ProPix image-processing engine is utilised, having only reappeared on Sharp phones with last season's AQUOS R2. Phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) and contrast autofocus work in unison to ensure high-speed focusing on moving objects. The rear camera is equipped with shake reduction, but only for still images.
The front-facing camera has an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor with a new function called AQUOS Beauty that supports various adjustments for prettier selfies. The background blur feature, previously available only on the main camera, has now been introduced for the selfie camera, too. The front-facing camera is also enhanced by two features called Selfie Flash and Eye-Catch Selfie: in the former, the screen itself emits light as a flash to capture bright shots even at night, whereas in the latter, a display pattern around the front-facing camera draws the user's gaze towards the lens, helping to eliminate the awkwardly wandering eyes that are so common in selfies. Eye-Catch Selfie can also be activated simply by saying “OK Google, take a photo with Eye-Catch Selfie”.
The AQUOS sense2 has an all-aluminium body for extreme rigidity and is, like all other Sharp phones, waterproof and dust-proof.
The familiar Grip Magic sensors are present in the AQUOS sense2 as well, enabling the screen to light up automatically when the phone is picked up and keeping the backlight on while it is being held, while also preventing screen rotation.
It is powered by the Snapdragon 450 processor, with eight cores each clocked at 1.8 GHz – a downgrade from the previous AQUOS sense, which used the mid-range Snapdragon 630. The RAM is 3 GB and the on-board storage is 32 GB, expandable by microSDXC cards to up to 512 GB.
The AQUOS sense2 supports the now-standard Wi-Fi modes: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. NFC A/B and FeliCa are also supported.
The fingerprint sensor is mounted on the device's chin and doubles as a Home button. A menu setting makes it possible to hide the navigation buttons from the display and use the fingerprint sensor instead, with slide-left, slide-right, and press actions supported for Home, Back, and Recent Apps.
The phone is also equipped with the Face ID owner-recognition system.
The COCORO EMOPA personal assistant AI feature is, as usual, available on Sharp phones – now in its latest and greatest version 9.0, sadly still only in Japanese. The Roboqul rotating charging stand can be purchased optionally.
The AQUOS sense2 has a 2700 mAh battery pack, and thanks to various optimisations, power consumption has been reduced by approximately 21%.
It ships with Android 8.1 Oreo. Pursuant to Sharp's updates and upgrades policy, the AQUOS sense2 is guaranteed to receive up to two new OS versions and regular security updates for a period of 2 years.
The AQUOS sense2 measures 71 x 148 x 8.4 mm (the thickest part is 9.4 mm) and weighs 155 grams.
Specifications
- Display: 5.5 inches, 2160 × 1080 px — IGZO LCD
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (SDM450) — 8 × 1.8 GHz
- Rear camera:
- 12.1 MP CMOS, PDAF + CAF, SR, f/2.0
- 1080p @ 30fps
- Front-facing camera:
- 8 MP CMOS, AF, SR, 90° wide-angle, f/2.2
- 1080p @ 30 fps
- Battery: 2700 mAh (non-removable)
- Operating system: Android
- OS version at launch: 8.1
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AQUOS
sense2
SHV43
- Waterproofing: IPX5/IPX8
- Dustproofing: IP6X
- Shock-resistance: MIL-STD-810G
- Operating memory (RAM): 3 GB
- Built-in storage memory: 32 GB
- External storage: microSDXC, 512 GB
- The OS received an upgrade to version 10 on 16 July 2020.
- The OS received an upgrade to version 9.0 on 29 May 2019.
au by KDDI was the first carrier to officially announce the AQUOS sense2, under the model designation SHV43, releasing it in early November.
In mid-May 2019, a simplified version of the SHV43 was announced under the name AQUOS sense2 easy SHV43, with sales scheduled to begin after mid-June 2019. The only difference between this new version and the original is that it runs Android 9.0, while the available colours are bright silver, mint green, and clear white.
The AQUOS sense2 SHV43 supports the following radio frequencies: FDD-LTE 2100 MHz (B1), 1800 MHz (B3), 850 MHz (B5), 2600 MHz (B7), and 700 MHz (B12/B17), W-CDMA 2100 MHz (B1) and 850 MHz (B5), and GSM 1900/1800/900/850 MHz.
The SHV43 is offered in four colour versions: silky white, nuance black, pink gold, and ice green.
AQUOS
sense2
SHV43
- Waterproofing: IPX5/IPX8
- Dustproofing: IP6X
- Shock-resistance: MIL-STD-810G
- Operating memory (RAM): 3 GB
- Built-in storage memory: 32 GB
- External storage: microSDXC, 512 GB
- The OS received an upgrade to version 10 on 27 July 2020.
- The OS received an upgrade to version 9.0 on 30 May 2019.
The AQUOS sense2 is also available through UQ Mobile, an AU subsidiary. The code name remains unchanged: SHV43.
The UQ Mobile version is offered in three of the four colour versions available on au: ilky white, nuance black, pink gold.
AQUOS
sense2
SH-01L
- Waterproofing: IPX5/IPX8
- Dustproofing: IP6X
- Shock-resistance: MIL-STD-810G
- Operating memory (RAM): 3 GB
- Built-in storage memory: 32 GB
- External storage: microSDXC, 512 GB
- The OS received an upgrade to version 10 on 20 July 2020.
- The OS received an upgrade to version 9.0 on 2 July 2019.
The Docomo version of Aquos sense2, code-named SH-01L, supports the following radio frequencies: FDD-LTE 850 MHz (B5) and 700 MHz (B12/B17), W-CDMA 850 MHz (V), GSM 1900/1800/900/850 MHz.
Docomo are offering it in four colour versions: silky white, nuance black, Champagne gold, and blossom pink.
AQUOS
sense2
SH-M08
- Waterproofing: IPX5/IPX8
- Dustproofing: IP6X
- Shock-resistance: MIL-STD-810G
- Operating memory (RAM): 3 GB
- Built-in storage memory: 32 GB
- External storage: microSDXC, 512 GB
- The OS received an upgrade to version 10 on 29 July 2020.
- The OS received an upgrade to version 9.0 on 18 June 2019.
The SIM-free version of the AQUOS sense2 started selling a couple of weeks after au/UQ Mobile/docomo's. It can be offered by any MVNO.
Rakuten Mobile is going to release it as soon as 27 December 2018. In mid-January 2019, a special-colour version will become available, cardinal red. The Aquos sense2 will be priced at 29,800 yen before tax for new contracts, cheaper for model change.
Another virtual mobile network operator Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ), announced on 23 December 2018 that it too would be offering the Aquos sense2 SH-M08. A special-colour version will be offered by IIJ, too: French pink. The price will be the same as above.
The Aquos sense2 SH-M08 supports the full range of radio frequencies, as follows:
LTE: Band 1 (2.0 GHz) / Band 3 (1.7 GHz) / Band 5 (850 MHz) / Band 8 (900 MHz) / Band 12 (700 MHz) / Band 17 (700 MHz) / Band 19 (800 MHz) / Band 26 (800 MHz) / Band 41 (2.5 GHz);
3G: Band 1 (2.0 GHz) / Band 5 (850 MHz) / Band 6 (800 MHz) / Band 8 (900 MHz) / Band 19 (800 MHz);
GSM: 1900/1800/900/850 MHz.
AQUOS
sense2
SHV43K
- Waterproofing: IPX5/IPX8
- Dustproofing: IP6X
- Shock-resistance: MIL-STD-810G
- Operating memory (RAM): 3 GB
- Built-in storage memory: 32 GB
- External storage: microSDXC, 512 GB
- The OS received an upgrade to version 10 on 16 July 2020.
Half a year after the main model, au are releasing an "easy" version of the AQUOS sense2. This is designated SHV43K, with the "K" standing for Kantan (かんたん / 簡単), meaning "easy" or "simple".
Designed for smartphone beginners, it comes with the AQUOS Kantan Home interface, larger and more legible fonts, Hakkiri View for improved screen visibility, and a simplified version of the S-Shoin keyboard. It also ships with Android 9.0 from the outset, rather than the Android 8.1 of the original SHV43. The hardware remains unchanged, while the available colours are reduced to Bright Silver, Mint Green, and Clear White.