Intel, Qualcomm reportedly considering investment in Sharp

A new path may be in the cards for Sharp

Two chip making rivals are reportedly considering a joint investment worth $378 million (UK£238, AUD$363) into struggling consumer electronics company Sharp, according to a new report.
Citing two sources familiar with the situation, Reuters revealed the potential revival deal between Intel and Qualcomm Wednesday.
Sharp displays are found in iPads and iPhones and the company appears anxious to tap into the small screen and high-end laptop market as a way to resurrect its fortunes. Intel is apparently interested in Sharp's energy-efficient IGZO displays as it looks to profit in the growing Ultrabook scene.
A deal between Sharp and Qualcomm may come as soon as the end of November, one of Reuters' sources said. Details of an Intel deal are less firm as the company has its own murky financials to contend with.

Sharp's struggles

Sharp's situation is no secret - various reports have it cutting its workforce by almost 11,000 in two years, selling off assets and contending with $13.8 billion (UK£8.71, AUD$13.2) in debt.
Over the course of 2012, Sharp has seen three-quarters of its value whither away. Its total lose for the year could reach $5.7 billion (UK£3.59, AUD$5.4), including a $1.1 billion (UK£6.94m, AUD$1.05) restructuring charge.
The firm also reportedly struggled to meet screen supply demands for the popular iPhone 5, though it later denied those claims.
An investment by Intel or Qualcomm, or both, could lay out an entirely new future for Sharp, one that steers it completely away from TV land and wholly towards mobile technology.

Via Reuters

Sharp announces AQUOS Pad SHT21 tablet with 7.0-inch low power IGZO LCD

Japanese technology products manufacturer Sharp has announced a new compact tablet with its latest IGZO LCD technology that uses minimum power and thus extends battery life.
The AQUOS Pad SHT21 showcases a 7.0-inch touchscreen LCD. The most remarkable feature of the screen is its low power consumption which according to Sharp officials doubles the overall battery life for extended operation time. The screen gives a high resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, supports pen input and employs Sharp’s original Feel UX user interface.
The tablet runs on a 1.5GHz Dual–core Snapdragon S4 processor on Qualcomm’s MSM8960 chipset. The chip comes with 1GB of built-in RAM and offers 16GB of internal memory which can be extended via microSDXC memory card. It also features NFC for easy one tap sharing and a growing number of other uses including payments. Other key specs include – Bluetooth v4.0, MHL, 4G LTE connectivity and a powerful 3460mAh battery.
The 9.4mm thin lightweight device will come with Google’s Android Ice Cream Sandwich installed. Its Japanese website mentions IPX5/IPX7 waterproof and dustproof rating. AQUOS Pad SHT21 is expected to be released somewhere in December, most probably at the peak of holidays shopping season.

Source: Sharp via Engadget