Many people are often surprised to learn that Sharp still has a smartphone business and it is one of the major players in Japan.

Sharp launches a new flagship smartphone every 6-12 months and this helps to maintain its position as a top-3 brand in the country.

Sharp's latest halo model is the Aquos R7. It is a premium 5G handset with a super-bright 6.6-inch OLED screen (2000 nits), huge 1-inch camera sensor, and an ultrawide 19mm focal camera. NTT Docomo is the main carrier partner.

Alongside the premium R7 comes a midrange Aquos Wish 2 phone. This carries a smaller 5.7-inch LCD display, modest 13MP camera, and promotes a green slant with 35% recycled-plastic casing.

The R7 will challenge the iPhone. Early feedback on public social media suggests consumers like the R7's sleek camera design, but there are concerns its ultrawide 19mm camera may in fact be too wide.