In a market that is dominated by the likes of Samsung and Apple, it is safe to say that more often than not, we end up overlooking some other contenders that actually deliver some pretty solid smartphones, but we end up forgetting about them altogether. Sharp is one of those companies, a company known for releasing its flagship devices in Japan every year, and this year has given us the Sharp Aquos R8 series.

Now, if you know Sharp, they have been synonymous with quality and performance. While it certainly is sad that these smartphones don't make it to the global market, if you are in Japan and are looking for a phone that does deliver top-tier performance, then the Sharp Aquos R8 is for you because you will not be disappointed.

Sharp Aquos R8 series proves you can still have all the latest features and retain a microSD card slot and 3.5mm headphone jack

The Sharp Aquos R8 consists of a base model and a Pro model. Both devices are powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with LPDDR5x RAM, blazing-fast UFS 4.0 storage, and up to 256 gigs of internal storage with a microSD card slot. The difference? The base variant only has 8 gigs of RAM, whereas the Pro variant has 12 gigs of RAM.

The MicroSD card slot is not the only surprise, to be honest, because the Sharp Aquos R8 series also has a 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition to that, the phone brings IP68 protection against dust and water, with the Pro variant having an ultra-sonic, in-display fingerprint sensor. On the front, Sharp Aquos R8 Pro brings an IGZO OLED display that can go from 1Hz to 240Hz refresh rate, has 10-bit colors, measures at 6.6-inches with WUXGA+ resolution, and can go as high as 2,000 nits peak brightness. On the other hand, the base variant offers a 6.4-inch display with FHD+ resolution and 1,300 nits peak brightness.

Handling the Sharp Aquos R8 Pro optics is a 47.2-megapixel IMX989, a 1-inch sensor with a Summicron lens. On the base variant, you get a 50-megapixel 1/1.55-inch sensor with a Hektor lens. The base variant offers a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor, but the Pro variant does not. However, it has a 14 CH spectral sensor, and you can use filters with it from companies such as ELECOM and LOOF. On the front, the Pro variant offers a 12.6-megapixel sensor, and the base variant offers an 8-megapixel sensor.

Both Sharp Aquos R8 variants are running Android 13, and the company has promised that the devices will be getting three years of major Android updates and five years of security updates. The base variant is powered by a respectable 4,5870 mAh battery, and the Pro variant is packed with a 5,000 mAh battery. Both phones do support wireless and wired charging, as well. As far as the pricing and availability are concerned, these are still unavailable in the market, as the company has said they will be available to purchase in July.