Created: 19 June 2022 · Last edited: 26 September 2026
Right, it's time for the big gun. The 2022 flagship has now been announced. It's called the Aquos R7 and is coming to Docomo and to au but not to SoftBank.
On the outside, the phone looks a lot like its predecessor, the Aquos R6, but there are improvements in nearly every aspect under the hood.
The camera now has a 1-inch image sensor with a resolution of 47.2 megapixels (more than double the R6) and a Summicron lens with aperture size of f/1.9 and focal length of 19 mm, jointly developed by Leica and Sharp. When using autofocus, the all-pixel Octa PDAF method is applied that enables all pixels to detect the focus position. AF is about twice as fast as that on the Aquos R6 and allows you to quickly focus on moving objects. Improvements in the AI processor guarantee faster detection of people, including their whole body, face, and eyes, even when wearing a mask (this is scary). The camera comes with electronic image stabilisation (EIS) and has an additional 1.9 MP sensor for distance measurement.
The front-facing camera is 12.6 MP with aperture size of f/2.3, 27 mm focal length equivalent.
The latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Gen. 1 processor powers the Aquos R7 with one 3 GHz core, three 2.5 GHz cores, and four 1.8 GHz cores. The amount of installed RAM is 12 GB like on the previous model but it's a next generation LPDDR5 memory. Onboard storage is 256 GB, again with a next-gen memory type: UFS 3.1. For those who need extra storage, microSDXC cards are supported of up to 1 TB.
The display is a 6.6-inch Pro IGZO OLED with a resolution of 1260 x 2730 px. The screen refresh rate can vary from 1 Hz to 240 Hz, depending on the type of application. Luminance is 2000 nits and the native contrast ratio is 20,000,000:1 (same as on the R6). This is a 10-bit true-colour display enhanced by technologies like Dolby Vision and Sharp's own Rich Color Technology Mobile.
The side-frame is made of aluminium with alumite dye applied to prevent peeling. The back panel is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus – the same as used on the front.
Positioning the camera in the centre ("Centre Circle Design") is a design decision Sharp made to ensure that the photographer and the subject in the viewfinder are connected by a straight line – for better capture.
The 5000 mAh battery can be charged using Qi wireless chargers, too.
The Aquos R7 comes with now standard biometrics: facial recognition and a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor built-in underneath the display.
It has the much-beloved 3.5 mm auto jack for those who wish to enjoy quality music without worrying about adapters.
But Sharp claim that even the built-in speakers (left and right) have seen significant improvement: 1.5 times the sound frequency band that the Aquos R6 is capable of reproducing.
Compliant with the latest requirements of the Japanese Ministry of Communications, the Aquos R7 (and all new phones) is manufactured without a SIM lock. Any SIM card can be used with it without the need to perform a SIM unlock procedure.
The Aquos R7 measures 161 x 77 x 9.3 mm and weighs 208 grams.
The Aquos R7 is offered in black or silver by both carriers. The retail price for the Docomo version is 198,000 Yen (with tax) or approx. 1453 USD, making it the most expensive Sharp model ever.
It comes with Android 12 pre-installed.
Specifications
- Display: 6.6 inches, 2730 × 1260 px — Pro IGZO OLED / 1–240 Hz
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (SM8450) — 1 × 3 GHz + 3 × 2.5 GHz + 4 × 1.8 GHz
- Rear camera:
- 47.2 MP all-pixel Octa PDAF, EIS, f/1.9, wide-angle + 1.9 MP ToF
- 4320p @ 24 fps, 2160 @ 60 fps, 1080p @ 60 fps, 1080p @ 240 fps, 720p @ 480 fps
- Front-facing camera:
- 12.6 MP CMOS, f/2.3, 90° wide-angle
- 1080p @ 30 fps
- Battery: 5000 mAh (non-removable)
- Operating system: Android
- OS version at launch: 12
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AQUOS
R7
A202SH
- Waterproofing: IPX5/IPX8
- Dustproofing: IP6X
- Operating memory (RAM): 12 GB
- Built-in storage memory: 256 GB
- External storage: microSDXC, 1 TB
- The OS received an upgrade to version 13 on 27 March 2023.
- The OS received an upgrade to version 14 on 12 March 2026.
The A202SH supports the following radio frequencies:
- 5G NR (FR1, FDD): n3
- 5G NR (FR1, TDD): n28 / n77 / n78 / n79
- 5G NR (FR2, TDD): n257
- LTE (FDD): B1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B7 / B8 / B11 / B12 / B17 / B18 / B19 / B21
- LTE (TDD): B38 / B39 / B40 / B41 / B42
- 3G (W-CDMA): I / II / IV / V / VIII
- GSM: 850 / 900 / 1,800 / 1,900 MHz
* bold: overseas only; underlined: Japan only.
AQUOS
R7
SH-52C
- Waterproofing: IPX5/IPX8
- Dustproofing: IP6X
- Operating memory (RAM): 12 GB
- Built-in storage memory: 256 GB
- External storage: microSDXC, 1 TB
- The OS received an upgrade to version 13 on 27 March 2023.
- The OS received an upgrade to version 14 on 25 March 2026.
The SH-52C supports the following radio frequencies:
- 5G NR (FR1, FDD): n3
- 5G NR (FR1, TDD): n77 / n78 / n79
- 5G NR (FR2, TDD): n257
- LTE (FDD): B1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B7 / B8 / B11 / B12 / B13 / B17 / B18 / B19 / B20 / B21
- LTE (TDD): B38 / B39 / B40 / B41 / B42
- W-CDMA: I / II / IV / V / VIII
- GSM: 850 / 900 / 1,800 / 1,900 MHz
* bold: overseas only; underlined: Japan only.
AQUOS
R7s
SH-R70
- Waterproofing: IPX5/IPX8
- Dustproofing: IP6X
- Operating memory (RAM): 12 GB
- Built-in storage memory: 256 GB
- External storage: microSDXC, 1 TB
Sharp's Indonesian subsidiary has announced the Aquos R7s, model number SH-R70. The device will go on sale in early August 2023. This is the first top-range model released for the local market in three years, the last model being the Aquos R3. This gap is explained by the domestic product priority policy set forth by the Indonesian Ministry of Industry, which requires mobile phones sold in Indonesia to have at least 35% of their components manufactured in Indonesia.
One significant difference between the Aquos R7 sold in Japan and the Aquos R7s to be sold in Indonesia is the phone's image sensor. While the Japanese models all have a 1-inch sensor jointly developed with Leica – and therefore have LEITZ inscribed on the camera rim – the Indonesian model's sensor is different in that Leica have not supervised its production – hence the inscription reads 1-INCH IMAGE SENSOR. But most importantly, the specifications remain unchanged – at least on paper.
Unlike the Japanese model, the Aquos R7s only has a single (mono) built-in speaker.
The Indonesian SH-R70 version supports GSM, WCDMA, LTE and 5G radio frequencies, as follows:
- 5GNR: sub6: n1 / n3 / n5 / n28 / n38 / n40 / n41 / n77 / n78 / n79
- 5GNR: millimetre wave: n257
- 4G LTE: FDD-LTE: B1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B7 / B8 / B12 / B13 / B17 / B18 / B19 / B20 / B21 / B28 / B66
- 4G LTE: TD-LTE: B38 / B39 / B40 / B41 / B42
- 3G W-CDMA: B1 / B2 / B4 / B5 / B8
- 2G GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
This is a considerably broader band set than the Japanese R7 versions.
The Aquos R7s measures 161 x 77 x 9.3 mm and weighs 208 grams. It supports dual SIM, dual standby.
The Aquos R7s SH-R70 is offered only in black.
It comes with Android 13 pre-installed. I have found confirmation that it received an upgrade to Android 14 but couldn't establish the date. No confirmation of Android 15 and 16 upgrades.