Created: 1 July 2010 · Last edited: 9 August 2026
The Sharp IS01 platform is a QWERTY-keyboard Android "smartbook" straddling the line between a netbook and a phone. It centres on a 5-inch "New Mobile ASV" multi-touch touchscreen at 960 x 480 pixels, driven by a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Text input is handled by a full QWERTY keyboard with an 11.2 mm key pitch, backed up by a trackball for on-screen navigation.
Imaging is covered by a 5.27 MP autofocus rear camera and a 0.43 MP front-facing camera for video calls, alongside a 1Seg tuner for Japanese digital TV broadcasts. Connectivity includes IrDA, Wi-Fi b/g, and Bluetooth + EDR. The platform launched running Android 1.6, and would go on to appear in three distinct guises during 2010: a developer-only edition sold directly by Sharp, and two carrier-branded consumer releases with differing cellular hardware and software.
Specifications
- Display: 5.0 inches, 960 × 480 px — New Mobile ASV LCD
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 (MSM7227A) — 1.0 GHz
- Rear camera:
- 5.27 MP CMOS, AF, SR
- 480p @ 15 fps
- Front-facing camera:
- 0.43 MP CMOS
- unknown
- Battery: 1400 mAh (removable)
- Operating system: Android
- OS version at launch: 1.6
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SHARP
JN-DK01
- Waterproofing: None
- Dustproofing: None
- Operating memory (RAM): 256 MB
- Built-in storage memory: 4 GB
- External storage: microSD/microSDHC, 16 GB
Before the IS01 reached the public, Sharp sold a developer-only edition under the name JN-DK01. Released 12 May 2010 through Sharp's own developer portal, SH Developers Square, for ¥94,800, it shared the IS01's hardware baseline but had its cellular modem stripped out entirely – connectivity was Wi-Fi only, with no calls and no mobile data of any kind.
In place of a carrier contract, Sharp bundled the JN-DK01 with an SDK and access to Developers Square, letting Japanese enthusiast coders build and test their own Android software against Sharp's extended APIs before the retail devices existed.
SHARP
IS01
SHL01
- Waterproofing: None
- Dustproofing: None
- Operating memory (RAM): 256 MB
- Built-in storage memory: 4 GB
- External storage: microSD/microSDHC, 16 GB
The retail IS01 was announced jointly by Sharp and au KDDI – Japan's second-largest mobile carrier – on 30 March 2010, and went on sale nationwide on 30 June 2010. It connects via au's CDMA2000 cellular network, and shipped in two body colours: BLACK and LIGHT BLUE.
The au version carries a KDDI-specific feature the DoCoMo release lacks: augmented-reality browsing through "Sekai Camera", developed jointly by KDDI and Tonchidot (ocean observation). In September 2010, a bug affecting email send/receive was discovered; sales and repair returns were suspended from 17 September until 23 September while it was fixed.
SHARP
Lynx
SH-10B
- Waterproofing: None
- Dustproofing: None
- Operating memory (RAM): 256 MB
- Built-in storage memory: 4 GB
- External storage: microSD/microSDHC, 16 GB
NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest carrier, unveiled its own version of the IS01 as part of its Summer 2010 lineup in mid-May, under the name Lynx SH-10B – roughly three weeks behind it: the Lynx went on sale nationwide on 23 July 2010, versus au's 30 June launch.
Underneath its notably more angular styling compared to the IS01, the Lynx shares the exact same hardware (see specs above), but swaps au's CDMA2000 module for DoCoMo's WCDMA cellular network. Unlike the au version, the Lynx doesn't offer the augmented-reality "Sekai Camera" feature – its user interface was developed in-house by Sharp rather than jointly with the carrier. It shipped in Red and White. In September 2010, an unrelated software bug was found that could expose keyboard input to malicious apps; sales were suspended on 9 September and resumed 18 September, once patched.