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As the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE nears, so do the leaks surrounding it. Google has now further hinted at the impending release of the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition by adding it to the list of devices that support Play Services for AR.
Rugged phones aren't generally very exciting. They're all big, boxy things, with plastic shells meant to absorb force from drops. Kyocera's new Verizon-exclusive rugged phone, though, is... well, it's a big, boxy thing with a plastic shell. But it also has a sapphire screen and an action camera.
Kyocera, to the surprise of no one, has released yet another rugged phone. This one's called the DuraForce PRO, and its specs actually don't seem half bad. With the PRO, Kyocera is pushing the very aptly-named "Super Wide View FHD Action Camera" as the main feature.
Are you bored of the endless parade of touchscreen slabs that smartphones have become? Do you want a new idea, a strike of genius, something to foam at the mouth for? Then look no further than the Japanese market. The companies there are just scrubbing every assumption we have and building weird products to appeal to their awesome and quirky market, like this Kyocera DIGNO rafre. Let's pretend that we all know how this name is pronounced and move on to the highlight feature of the phone: it's hot water and soap washable.
Kyocera is one smartphone manufacturer that could care less about beating the competition on specs. It makes cheap phones that either won't receive updates or won't get them until long after you've given up hope. But the handsets are affordable, and many of the later models tend to be pretty rugged.
Normally the kind of customer who buys a "rugged" phone like the Hydro VIBE isn't all that concerned with having the latest and greatest in software - or at least that seems to be the attitude of the carriers and manufacturers, who don't seem very concerned themselves. Perhaps that's why Sprint and Kyocera launched the phone with Android 4.3 back in May, despite the fact that 4.4 had already been available for seven months. The company corrected that oversight with the 2.033sp update, dated yesterday.
Sometimes PR people make up words they think are clever—they usually aren't. Kyocera's new "fragiphoniphobia" line is an example of this. The "fear of fragile phones" will allegedly be mitigated by the new ruggedized Kyocera Hydro Life. Whether or not you want a rugged phone, I think we can all agree that fragiphoniphobia should never appear in print again.
Update: Verizon's specification page has been changed to indicate that the LG G Vista has an "HD" screen. It looks like there was an error in the original spec list. We're going to assume that means that it's a 1280x720 screen.
Kyocera isn't exactly a big name in modern Android smartphones, but it does make a lot of rugged devices that don't get much press. It's also big in materials science, which is where sapphire comes in. See, it seems like a safe bet that the next iPhone will have a sapphire glass display, and Kyocera happens to know a lot about manufacturing synthetic sapphire for watches and electrical components. So, they're making sapphire screens for smartphones. This is the thing now.
Sprint And Virgin Mobile Announce The Low-End, Water-Resistant Kyocera Hydro Vibe For Release In May
Do you like the idea of water and ingress protection on the Galaxy S5, but don't feel like ponying up for a flagship phone? Then Kyocera hopes you'll consider its Hydro Vibe smartphone, at least if you're a potential Sprint or Virgin Mobile customer. The "ruggedized" Android phone will be launching on Sprint on May 9th and Virgin on May 27th. Sprint is talking up its "Easy Pay" payment plan, where the phone costs ten bucks a month for two years, but Virgin will sell it outright for $149.99.
There is an unspoken rule that a ruggedized phone must be ugly as sin. The leaked Kyocera Brigadier sure looks ruggedized, as evidenced by the less than attractive design. What's it look like? Imagine a Casio G'zOne, but perhaps even uglier.
The Kyocera Hydro Elite may not be a top-of-the-line device, but it comes with something most phones don't - water resistance. It also packs 4.3-inch display and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, making it an admirable midrange handset. Now Verizon is distributing the first OTA for the phone, and while the Android version number remains the same, this update impacts many areas of the device.
Kyocera's Waterproof Hydro ELITE Launches On Verizon Online August 29th, $99 With A Two-Year Contract (After $50 Rebate)
Kyocera's Waterproof Hydro ELITE Launches On Verizon Online August 29th, $99 With A Two-Year Contract
My first two smartphones, the Milano and the Rise, were both made by Kyocera, so I have a soft spot for the brand. The company's handsets generally may not be high-end, or even midrange, but they're good for average folks who don't live and die by the number of pixels their phone is able to push or flip tables if there's a momentary stutter when switching between home screens. Kyocera's latest offering, the Hydro ELITE, will launch online at Verizon Wireless this Thursday, August 29th, and it's quite an improvement over the company's usual offerings.
Galaxy Prevail II Now Available From Boost Mobile, Kyocera Hydro Edge Available From Both Boost And Sprint
Galaxy Prevail II Now Available From Boost Mobile
Anyone looking for an affordable handset might want to take notice of the Samsung Galaxy Prevail II available today from Boost Mobile. The device comes with Android 4.1.2, a 4-inch screen, a 800 by 480 resolution, and a 1750 mAh battery. A 5MP camera is embed in the back and the typical 1.3MP camera can be found in the front. The device will set you back just $180, and it comes without a burdensome two year contract.
The ruggedized smartphone market is small, but not so small that it's ignored. Admirable entries like the Samsung Rugby Smart and the Casio Commando might not have all the bells and whistles of their flagship contemporaries, but they take a licking and keep on ticking. Phone retailer Wirefly decided to put Sprint's Kyocera Torque (Bear Grylls approved!) through its paces via some decidedly extreme tests: a drop from two stories, hibernation in a block of ice, and most dramatically, a trip through a 30-minute washing machine cycle.
While these two devices are essentially unrelated in general, today they have one thing in common: they're both getting small OTA updates.
Sprint Will Sell The Kyocera Rise For $20 After Rebate With Contract On August 19th, Tries Selling A Budget Smartphone Without The Rope
Sprint has finally announced what we'd heard almost a month ago. The Kyocera Rise, the budget smartphone best known for making my movie references easy,
Sprint has finally announced what we'd heard almost a month ago. The Kyocera Rise, the budget smartphone best known for making my movie references easy, is heading to the Now Network on August 19th. The device will cost $19.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. So if you want the internal specs of the original Evo in a QWERTY slider from the company that you probably didn't know also makes cutlery, it will run you $70 out the door.
Kyocera Rise Is Rumored To Be Heading To Sprint And Virgin Mobile, Has Nothing To Do With Batman
If you're not in the market for an über cheap, probably contract free phone, feel free to move along. Assuming you didn't already when you saw the name
If you're not in the market for an über cheap, probably contract free phone, feel free to move along. Assuming you didn't already when you saw the name 'Kyocera'. Still here? Good. Because I've got great news for you! The Kyocera Rise (no relation to the Dark Knight of the same name) is rumored to be coming to Sprint and Virgin Mobile very soon.
Kyocera Hydro Lands On Boost Mobile, "Where You At?" Can Now Be Answered With "Under The Sea"
Okay, so Kyocera's not really known for producing the best smartphones. And Boost Mobile is perhaps best known for mildly entertaining ads and cheap plans,
Okay, so Kyocera's not really known for producing the best smartphones. And Boost Mobile is perhaps best known for mildly entertaining ads and cheap plans, compared to the big dogs. If you're not interested in having the latest and greatest, if your primary concern for network carrier is price, and if you spend a lot of time making phone calls under water, then I've got some great news for you: the Kyocera Hail Hydro is coming to Boost Mobile for $129 (no contract) on August 3rd.
CTIA 2012: Hands-On With Kyocera Hydro And Rise [Video, Photos]
CTIA 2012: Hands-On With Kyocera Hydro And Rise
Since Kyocera was one of the only companies actually announcing something new at CTIA this year (this conference seems to get less and less relevant each year), I stopped by their booth to play around with the newborns - the waterpoof Hydro and the QWERTY Rise.