Sharp's new Aquos R includes a charging dock that turns and looks at you

Sharp may not be a huge name in the Android smartphone market, but in the past it has come up with some interesting products. That includes the Aquos Crystal, a phone with a near-bezel free design that was released in 2014, well before the current trend of flagship phones offering edge-to-edge displays.

Today, Sharp announced its latest smartphone, the Aquos R. It also has some pretty high-end hardware, but the most interesting thing about this phone may be one of its accessories; a charging dock that has some rather creepy features.

First, let’s look at the phone itself. As you can see, the design is not all that exciting, compared to what we have seen lately with the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the LG G6. However, the 5.3-inch Aquox R has a IGZO LCD display, with QHD resolution, support for HDR 10 and a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

Inside, the phone will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, along with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of on-board storage. It also has a 22.6 MP rear camera with a 90 degree wide angle lens, along with a 16.3 MP front facing camera. It also has a 3,160 mAh battery, a fingerprint sensor, and Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

The most unique feature that’s being offered with the Aquos R is its charging dock. The company says that when you connect the phone to the dock, it will use the new EMOP AI assistant to listen to and follow the owner’s voice, so that when a call comes through, the dock will automatically turn to face the owner. As we said, it’s a bit creepy.

Sharp has yet to announce any pricing or release date details for the Aquos R or its creepy AI-driven charging dock, nor has it revealed if it will be released outside its native Japan. Would you buy a dock for your phone that turns to follow your voice? Let us know your opinions in the comments!