Sharp to unleash 3D smartphone

Over in Tokyo, at the annual CEATEC expo, Sharp has set tongues a wagging with its 3D smartphone stand.

Back in September at IFA, Pocket-lint was on hand to see Sharp demoing autostereoscopic technology (which means no glasses required) and we were also told by a Sharp spokesman that the plan was to release something before the end of the year.

Sharp also used IFA 2010 to show off a concept 3D smartphone, and we have to say that the pictures decorating its stand at CEATEC look pretty similar to that one.

Now, we all know that Sharp is the manufacturer responsible for the 3D aspects of Nintendo's forthcoming handheld, the 3DS, so maybe it isn't surprising that the Japanese company has a 3D phone up its sleeve and ready to go.

What is less obvious is where the phone will actually go on sale - after all, Sharp handsets have hardly sold well in Europe and the US in the past.

Will a 3D feature be enough to convince a wider audience to use a Sharp smartphone, or is it only Japan that will see this handset get a release? Give us your thoughts using the comments below.