Created: 11 September 2020 · Last edited: 25 September 2026

Celebrating the launch of the world's first 5G network (in Japan, of course), Sharp have decided to skip a number or two in their model names and affix "5G" instead. Thus, we got the AQUOS R5G to follow the AQUOS R3 and now the AQUOS zero5G – although the previous model was called AQUOS zero2.

Sharp may have planned to release a "basic" and a "standard" (or maybe "advanced") version of the zero5G but the carriers didn't think so. Little interest is shown in this otherwise very cool gadget. And so, we got just the AQUOS zero5G basic, launching only on au and SoftBank.

Even though both are "basic", the SoftBank one is more so with its 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of onboard storage, while au's has 8 GB RAM and 128 GB onboard storage. But both are powered by the same Snapdragon 765 5G processor having 1 x 2.3 GHz core, 1 x 2.2 GHz core and 6 x 1.8 GHz cores. Clearly a step down from the top-notch Snapdragon 855 and 845 found on the previous two "zeroes". Both zero5Gs can take up to 1 terabyte microSDXC cards.

The AQUOS zero5G basic is the third phone Sharp launch having an OLED display. It measures 6.4 inches diagonally and has a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. Judging by the description, however, this is the same display as the one installed on last year's model, instead of a new generation – an awesome piece of technology nonetheless.

Capable of reproducing 1 billion colours, like the IGZO LCD on the AQUOS R3, this OLED employs 10-bit colour processing and TrueHDR10, the same as on professional graphic designer monitors. Inserting one black frame between each of the 120 frames in the new OLED screen, Sharp have effectively achieved 240 refresh cycles per second, virtually eliminating any afterimage effects that may still have been observable by very keen eyes in 120 Hz models. This also leads to a dramatic improvement in touch performance – something phone gamers should find is giving them great advantage. The official announcement claims touch-screen response has seen 80% improvement.

The phone is compliant with high-quality image reproduction standards, including HDR, HLG, VP9, and YouTube HDR. For a realistic sound reproduction, the stereo speakers are compliant with Dolby Atmos, aptX™ HD, aptX™ Adaptive, and TrueWireless™ Stereo Plus, LDAC. The 3.5 mm earphone jack is there, as you'd expect if you wanted to enjoy quality sound on your headphones.

Gamers being a major target group of the AQUOS zero5G basic, it features a dedicated gaming menu allowing notifications and certain operations to be blocked, session recording, search, and Touch guard. Connection to external screen is also supported using a USB-C Alternate Mode DisplayPort cable.

The camera setup on the AQUOS zero5G is nothing short of impressive and consists of three sensors on the rear and one on the front panel. On the rear we find:

• a standard camera with a 48-megapixel sensor, f/1.8 aperture, wide-angle 79° that is the focal equivalent of 26 mm; new hybrid auto-focus is employed along with electronic image stabilisation;
• a wide-angle camera with a 13.1-megapixel sensor, f/2.4 aperture, ultra-wide-angle 125° that is the focal length equivalent of 15 mm; electronic image stabilisation included;
• and a telephoto camera with an 8-megapixel sensor with 3x optical zoom, f/2.4 aperture, telephoto 30° that is the focal length equivalent of 79 mm; equipped with high-speed auto-focus (PDAF) and electronic image stabilisation.

Selfie maniacs will be pleased to learn that the front-facing sensor has 16.3 megapixels, f/2.0 aperture size, wide-angle 73° that is the equivalent of 29 mm.

The AQUOS zero5G can play Hi-Res audio formats (WAV/FLAC/DSD).

Like all recent Sharp phones, this one, too, comes with the Emopa personal assistant built-in (ver. 12).

The 4050 mAh battery is coupled with intelligent charging that allows you to use the phone (play games) while charging without overheating the phone or without deteriorating the battery as quickly. Thanks to the unique heat dissipation design, introduced in the first AQUOS zero and further improved in the second iteration, the AQUOS zero5G basic should remain cool even in hot situations.

Digital terrestrial television is not supported, like in the previous AQUOS zero models.

A new function is the ability to quickly launch your preferred payment app by pressing and holding the fingerprint sensor (Pay Trigger).

Another novelty is dual-band GPS that achieves both high-speed positioning by L1 and accurate positioning by L5, which make it possible to detect signal even near high-rise buildings and three-dimensional elevated buildings, where standard GPS is prone to errors.

The AQUOS zero5G basic is available in black, white, or blue (depending on the carrier). It measures 161 x 75 x 9.0 mm and weighs 182 grams.