Sharp Australia is set to undergo a major overhaul with the company looking to move into Smartphones, LED lighting and solar technology. The company will also launch new appliances that use steam to cook and grill as well as a range of large commercial display panels.
Speaking in Japan earlier today, recently appointed Marketing Manager Mark Beard, who joined Sharp from a senior executive position at Samsung Australia, told ChannelNews that the company is “looking for growth” from an array of new products including their brand new Sharp Quattron TV which is the first 3D TV that delivers four colours. Set to be launched next month the new 60 inch TV will retail for around $7,999.
Among the new products being considered for Australia is a range of Sharp Smartphones, including a new 3D model. Sharp, who is the #1 phone brand in Japan, is currently developing a range of new Android models which could be released in Australia. Among them is a model that has a QWERTY keyboard, a 960 x 480 pixel screen, trackball, GPS, Wi Fi and a 5.3 megapixel camera which is expected to be increased to 8 megapixels in future models.
The device that I saw in Japan was extremely light at 230 grams, and a lot more convenient than a traditional Android based Smartphone.
Other products set to be launched in Australia include new combination steam ovens, microwave and conventional ovens that can be built into a cabinet. The device, which is proving very popular in the USA, uses high pressure steam to cook and grill in a matter of minutes.
According to Beard, the company is set to invest in new marketing activities which he admits has been a weakness for Sharp in the past.
“We are currently developing new above and below the line marketing activities. We have to demonstrate to the consumer that Sharp technology is well worth owning because it is technology with a pedigree”.
Beard cites, as an example, their new LED TV technology. “We own a lot of the patents associated with LCD TV technology and our new Quattron TV which delivers four-primary-colour Vs three that is found in all other TVs is based on our own proprietary UV2A technology. This technology adds Y (yellow) to the three RBG (red, blue, green) primary colours, improving the ability to reproduce colours to a screen”.
During a visit to the Sharp Technology Hall in Osaka, Japan, ChannelNews was able to witness firsthand the new TV and it is impressive. Using a magnifying glass we were able to see the four colours and the picture delivered to the screen was of an extremely high quality, blacks appeared deep and rich and colours like gold and silver really stood out.
According to Beard, the company will compete head on with Panasonic, who recently acquired Sanyo in the Australian solar market, in what promises to be a bruising battle for market share.
“We are not there yet in Australia, however Sharp has some superior solar technology and Japanese solar is among the best in the world and we believe that we can be extremely competitive especially in the commercial and government as well as education markets. Currently a lot of cheap bottom end solar panels from China are being sold into the residential market in Australia however consumers will soon work out that Japanese solar technology is significantly advanced”.
Beard added: “We believe that Sharp has a big future in Australia especially as we have a lot of exciting new technologies like LED lighting and new steam-based appliances. This is the type of technology that Australians want in their home and at work in the future”.
