Sharp
902SH

The Sharp 902SH was a Vodafone-exclusive handset announced with a suite of other 3G handsets in September 2004. Notably, it was made available in Japan, Europe and Asia-Pacific markets. In Europe, it was the first 3G mobile phone with a two-megapixel CCD camera and one of the first devices to feature a 2X optical zoom. It pushed mobile photography to a completely new level, but arguably at a time when most users around the globe weren't aware of their need to have a camera in their pocket. It was notable that the Japanese were pushing the boundaries in this area with a series of technology breakthroughs in mobile phone camera technology. The 902SH had very similar specs to the V602SH with the key differentiator being the 3G connectivity. It featured a 2.4-inch high-contrast wide-viewing-angle “Mobile Advanced Super View LCD” which had been developed for Sharp’s AQUOS*1 LCD TVs. The Japanese company claimed this delivered a brighter and more vivid display with a contrast level that was twice as high as previous models. It also claimed the technology could deliver wider viewing angles of 160° vertically and horizontally with no colour distortion even as the angle changed. Much like its younger sibling, the Sharp 802SH, the 902SH followed the same design and menu layout, which unfortunately proved somewhat unsuccessful in Japan. The phone wasn't Japanese enough for locals, and at the same time proved too exotic for European tastes, and was somewhat of a luxury item given its premium price. The handset will perhaps be best remembered for the Ferrari Edition that was announced in June 2005 – this is the variant included in the Mobile Phone Museum. This included several exclusive features such as Ferrari-themed games, ringtones and a customised menu. Owners also had access to Ferrari footage. Some information courtesy of Christian Legere, the author of The Flipside Story