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iPhone 4 Retina Display matched by upcoming Sharp smartphone

Josh Ong |

Sharp has challenged Apple's smartphone display reign by announcing an Android smartphone with the same resolution and dimensions as the iPhone 4's Retina Display.

The Sharp IS03 will sport a 960 x 640 resolution on its 3.5-inch screen when it launches next month on Japan's KDDI au network, Engadget reports.

The new device will utilize the Sharp-developed Advanced Super View technology to improve the display's viewing angle. ASV is reportedly comparable to the In-Plane Switching technology used in the iPhone 4.

Sharp's new phone will have a 9.6 megapixel autofocus camera and will launch with the older 2.1 version of Android. The handset is currently slated for a Japan-only release.

It has taken Apple's competitors months to catch up to the iPhone 4 display. When the iPhone 4 was announced, it was billed as having "the highest resolution display ever in a phone." According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the Retina Display has a resolution that is higher than "the limit of the human retina" at standard viewing levels.