Sharp have unveiled a new smartphone, the somewhat oddly-titled Sharp Advanced/W-Zero3. In fact, the smartphone itself seems a bit odd. Looking a bit like a bad cross between a PDA and standard phone, the Advanced/W-Zero3 looks like a typical candybar phone when closed, and has a slide open QWERTY keyboard that turns it into a complete smartphone.

More details after the jump.

However, although this design itself isn't new, most other similarly-designed smartphones have the screen run the entire length of the phone. Sharp, by contrast, have opted to squeeze the screen into two thirds of the phone's length, keeping the keypad to the left (or bottom, depending on the phone's orientation).

The result is an odd-looking phone and a screen that, despite its huge 3" and WVGA (800x480) resolution, seems oddly cramped. It's probably due to people being used to seeing a screen run the full length of a keyboard, but the result looks like typing through a letter box!

Despite this, the Sharp Advanced is just that. Based on Windows Mobile 6, it comes with Wi-Fi, Web browser, Microsoft Office Mobile and the ability to read business cards via its camera, which, surprisingly, is only 1.3 megapixels.

Fortunately for aesthetics lovers, the Sharp Advanced/W-Zero3 is only available in Japan - and if you are in Japan, stick with a Samsung Ultra Smart F700 or Nokia E90 Communicator, as both are better looking and higher specced.

[Source: Aving.net]