Hardware & Design

The first thing you’ll notice with the Torque is its rugged look. It has a textured hard plastic Dura-Grip casing that protects it from drops, and every port is covered with a flap to keep water and dust out. The battery cover can come off, however, and it’s held on with a rather large screw that only requires a quarter turn to “unlock” it, so to speak. The cover is made out of a slightly-flexible rubber material to make it easy to pop off. Underneath the rear plate is a 2500mAh battery that powers the show, and it’s a slightly larger battery than we initially expected, but seeing how the Torque is meant for the adventurer, it’s critical to have a phone that can last all day.

The Torque comes with a 4-inch IPS display with a 800×480 resolution. Of course, that’s not really all that impressive, and those looking primarily for a top-quality display will want to look elsewhere, but otherwise it gets the job done, and most people who would need a rugged phone most likely won’t even care about the display’s quality in the first place. The screen is covered with a pre-installed screen protector as well, but it makes the screen look slightly blurry. We’re not sure what kind of screen protector is on the phone, but we could definitely tell that it made text and small icons a little blotchy.

As for the internals, the Torque comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz accompanied with 1GB of RAM. Sadly, it only has a measly 1GB of storage, but the phone has a microSD card slot that accepts up to 32GB of additional storage. The Torque sports a 5MP camera on the back, with a 1.3MP front-facing camera — more about that later.

As for ports and buttons, the Torque doesn’t rely on touch-based soft buttons. The phone consists of all physical buttons, including the three navigation buttons on the front. On the right side, there’s a dedicated camera button that acts as a shutter button, but it won’t open up the camera app itself. On the right side, there’s a volume rocker and a big yellow button for push-to-talk communication. On the top is the power button and a toggle button for turning the push-to-talk speaker on and off. Also on the top is the headphone jack in the middle. Then, on the bottom you have the microUSB port and the microphone.

The Torque also sports front-facing speakers, which is quite a rarity nowadays, and we were surprised to see that on a phone like this. The device houses the speakers at the bottom right below the navigation buttons, and I found it to be quite nice not having to cup my hand from the rear in order to get the sound to direct to the front, so having front-facing speakers is a small, but huge feature on this phone. As for the earpiece, it’s actually built into the glass display, and it relies on vibrations to deliver sound to your ear. It’s a weird concept, but Kyocera claims it makes voice calling quality better, especially in loud environments, like at a concert.

As for how rugged the Torque is, Kyocera claims it to be a pretty robust beast. The device meets Military Standard 810G, which applies to protection from dust, shock, vibration, temperature, rain, low pressure, solar radiation, and immersion in water for up to 30 minutes in up to 1 meter of water. I ended up dropping it a couple of times on my kitchen’s tile floor at different angles and it didn’t scratch it one bit, and it made more of a “thud” sound rather than a high-pitched cracking noise that you would get with most other smartphones. I even brought it in the shower with me and it was fine the whole time. However, Kyocera notes that the phone is inoperable while the screen is wet. We’re not sure if the phone disables itself somehow to avoid damage, but the phone stays on — you just can’t use it. In the end, you probably don’t need to worry too much about damaging the phone, which is something that most other smartphone owners can’t say about their precious toys.

Software

The Torque runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and the interface looks to be mostly stock, although there are a few pre-installed apps that may get in your way. Other than that, though, it looks like Kyocera mostly left the user interface alone, which is a huge plus for those wanting a true Android experience. However, those wanting the latest operating system will be disappointed for now, but Kyocera plans to upgrade the device to Jelly Bean within the next few months.

However, there are still a couple of Kyocera-exclusive features within the software, including a modified lock screen, that allows you to swipe the unlock circle in any direction to unlock the phone, and there’s also a camera icon that does the same thing. The icons at the bottom of the home screen are also just slightly changed up, with an ID app to the far right that allows you change the theme of the user interface.

Camera

The camera on the Torque isn’t the best, to put it simply. Even with adequate lighting, photos turned out to be really noisy, and white balance wasn’t working too well in most situations. Low-light capabilities weren’t too bad, though, but there was still a lot of noise in the photos, of course. I noticed that the camera would only focus the frame after I pressed the shutter button, meaning that as I was lining up my shot, the frame would remain blurry until I took the picture. At that point, the camera would quickly focus the frame and snap the photo. It only appeared to be doing that specifically with macro and other close-up shots, though.

Video quality was subpar as well. Automatic exposure and white balancing were average, but it would take a few seconds to refocus if I moved the camera around. As with the photos, ISO and noise were apparent, and while the camera is capable of shooting in HD, the quality isn’t too great, and it mostly looks like a standard-definition video that was blown up to HD standards, which as you know, doesn’t have good results. Overall, if you’re going hiking and are planning to do some sightseeing, you may want to bring a dedicated camera to take photos of that beautiful sunset over the canyon.

Performance & Battery Life

We ran the Torque through our go-to benchmarking apps, Quadrant and AnTuTu, and the results were a bit better than we expected. In AnTuTu, the Torque scored a 10,500, which is right on par with the Samsung Galaxy Note and the Galaxy S II, while just lagging behind a bit from the ASUS Transformer Prime. In Quadrant, the Torque scored just under a 4,200, which puts it on par with the Transformer Prime and almost up to snuff with the HTC One X, which is quite impressive.

As for battery life, knowing that the Torque had a 2500mAh battery, I was expecting to go longer than usual with this phone, and that’s exactly what happened. Streaming Netflix TV shows and movies non-stop on the Torque ended up lasting eight hours before the battery even reached 25%, and with normal use, it was easily lasting a couple of days without a problem. Of course, the large battery mixed with the low power requirements of the internal components makes the Torque one of the few smartphones on the market that can last a long time on a single charge.

Wrap-Up

In the end, while the Torque probably won’t win any awards in the looks department, it certainly gets props for being an extremely rugged smartphone. There’s definitely some things that could be better if it wants to compete with the flagship devices currently on the market, so you’ll definitely have to make some sacrifices in the performance department if you’re wanting something rugged. Although, we’d almost just rather get a better phone, slap on an OtterBox case, and call it a day.

The phone runs Android 4.1 and supports 4G LTE connectivity speeds. The battery in the smartphone promises 18.9 hours of talk time. The smartphone is built to Military Standard 810G promising that the device will be able to survive dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, humidity, rain, low pressure, salt fog, and extreme temperatures. The device is also built to IP67 standards for dust, sprayed water, and more.

The smartphone can survive full submersion in water up to 1 m deep for up to 30 minutes. The smartphone claims to be the first in America to support the new Smart Sonic Receiver Technology that is able to transmit sound as vibrations that are carried through body tissue directly to the eardrum and inner ear for sound clarity even in noisy environments. The phone has a four-inch IPS touchscreen that is ruggedized to resist impacts.

The screen is also optimized for readability, and control. The smartphone has a five-megapixel rear camera and a 1.3-megapixel front camera. It’s unclear exactly what processor the smartphone uses at this time. The phone also supports push to talk technology.

[via Kyocera]

The smartphone supports 3G web connectivity and runs Android 4.0. The device has Swype text input that allows users to enter text using the on-screen keyboard without lifting a finger. The device also has a special Eco Mode that helps extend the battery life.

Under the hood, the smartphone has a 1 GHz QUALCOMM Snapdragon processor combined with 512 MB of RAM. Integrated storage is only 4 GB, but the Event has a microSD card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage. The smartphone measures 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46-inches and weighs 4.1 ounces.

Connectivity options for the device include integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The battery promises talk time of 8.7 hours and standby time of 6.25 days. The Kyocera Event will be available exclusively from RadioShack starting on March 3.

[via Virgin Mobile]

This device has an Eco Mode, as they call it, which allows you to customize the phone’s battery usage through a series of activations and de-activations given certain criteria. The device has a 3.5-inch display, a 3.2 megapixel camera on the back with a single LED flash, and inside you’ll find a Qualcomm processor. This isn’t the next-level S4 you’ve been eyeing on the Galaxy S III, HTC One X, or Atrix HD, instead you’ll be working with a single-core 1GHz Snapdragon from a previous generation.

In other words, you’re not going to be playing high-powered games on this device and you’re certainly not going to be playing any awesome streaming HD video here – but you will get some good battery time. You’ll probably not have to charge all day, and if you drop your device in the drink, the drink will not destroy the device. Check out our full hands-on with this device to get a better idea of what’s coming your way soon.

Kyocera isn’t a widely know brand or name, but have been producing budget phones for a long time. Now with a few impressive ICS phones they are looking to jump back into action, most likely from Regional carriers such as Virgin Mobile or Cricket Wireless. Announced earlier today by Kyocera, we were able to grab some quality hands-on with the new phones

The more impressive of the two, the Kyocera Rise comes equipped with a low-res 480×320 3.5-inch display, a Qualcomm single-core processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 3.2 megapixel camera complete with Android 4.0 ICS for the operating system. They’ve uniquely added the same ICS interface buttons, only they are capacitive and not on-screen like many others. It should be available in the second half of the year although pricing and carriers were not yet available. The overall design and build quality was quite decent, as was the typing experience on the slide-out QWERTY keyboard, but we expect this to clearly come in at a budget-friendly price given the specs.

Next up was the new Hydro from Kyocera. This being their water-resistant offering that will also be geared for the budget crowd. If you were waiting for a high-end smartphone from Kyocera that day still has yet to come. With almost the exact same specs as the Rise — only without the QWERTY keyboard — the Hydro offers the same 3.5-inch display with a 320×480 resolution, 1 GHz single-core processor from Qualcomm, 512MB of RAM and 2GB of internal storage out of the gate with an optional micro-SD slot for extra storage.

Again the Hydro is running on a basically stock vanilla version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and we expect it to also arrive in the second half of 2012. Check out the pictures and more details from the gallery and links below.

Otherwise specs are modest: a 1Ghz single-core Snapdragon processor, 3.5-inch IPS screen with a 480×320 resolution, 512MB of RAM, and 2GB of storage with a microSD card slot for support up to 32GB. The 3.2 megapixel camera on the back comes with an LED flash, and video recording is capable of 30fps although the resolution wasn’t mentioned.

Standard radios include WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, and support for USB 2.0. You’ll find all the usual array of smartphone sensors too, such as a 3-axis accelerometer, compass, proximity sensors, and ambient light sensor. The software looks to be stock Ice Cream Sandwich for the most part, with only minor modifications made by Kyocera.

No word on pricing for the handset, or which carriers will be offering it, but we imagine it will be extremely cheap given the specs on offer. Kyocera say the phone will go on sale during the “second half” of 2012.

Connectivity is for Verizon and other CDMA carriers, with the Rise having EVDO Rev.A support along with WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. There’s also USB, a microSD card slot and the usual gamut of sensors – accelerometer, digital compass, proximity, ambient light and GPS – though no GSM support for international use.

It measures in at 4.44 x 2.38 x 0.56 inches when closed, tipping the scales at 5.54 oz. Aesthetically, there’s something of Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Mini pro to the Rise,  at least to our eyes, but the Kyocera is a little larger than the tiny Sony.

Kyocera isn’t saying how much the Rise will cost, and nor has it confirmed which carriers might be offering the QWERTY smartphone in the US. It will go on sale in the second half of 2012, however.

The other Samsung is described as “a full touch 4G” phone, with no QWERTY but everything else pointing to one of the US carrier variants of the Samsung Galaxy S II. That would imply a WiMAX upgrade for the Super AMOLED Plus smartphone, though we’re guessing the same 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 8-megapixel, Full HD video capable camera.

Next, there’s some CDMA BlackBerry news for the quarter, with the Bold Touch and the Monaco (aka BlackBerry Touch) tipped to arrive sometime between July and September. Each will be Global Phones, with both CDMA and GSM radios for use in North America and when roaming abroad. A third, unnamed device will apparently support push-to-talk, as will a few new Kyocera/Sanyo handsets.

In the UK, where the Iconia has been on sale for a couple of months now, Acer says adoption has been “good” among similarly-priced premium notebooks. They won’t share actual sales figures, but it’s supposedly making a moderate splash among the £1,500 competition. With mainstream notebooks selling for a third of that, though, it’s easy to assume that sales have – relatively speaking – been minor. We’re not expecting much different in the US and Canada, where the Iconia will be $1,200 when it goes on sale this month.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of a dual-screen phone or tablet. Microsoft’s original concept of the Courier was brilliant, a true digital book that not only sandwiched larger overall screen real-estate into a clamshell form-factor, but which promised to leverage those two panels in a way one big display doesn’t quite lend itself to. Having two distinct sections gives each workspace a mental boundary: the whole idea of Courier, of having one pane for research and the other for collection, worked because it wasn’t an artificial barrier, it wasn’t just two windows butting up on a single screen.

That sense of distinction encourages you to multitask. With a single display, especially on a smartphone, there’s the assumption that whatever software you’re using will be full-screen, and multitasking means hopping between those full-screen apps. With two separate displays, it’s not that you’re halving attention or relative “importance” – as with having a 50/50 split on a single panel – but instead encouraging users to consider the interaction between the apps.

Courier worked – as a concept, at least – because it had a tightly bounded use-case which played on those strengths. Research and workspace, simultaneously viewable. Unfortunately there’s a big difference between concepts and practice.

Where those who have attempted the segment have fallen short has generally been in battery life and functionality. The former is obvious: the display is usually the biggest hog of power in any device, and so when you double up on them you’re going to put even more strain on the average mobile battery. Of course, you can slot in a bigger pack, such as the bulbous lump on the Libretto W100, or bundle a second battery, as Sprint will do with the Kyocera Echo, but neither are particularly elegant solutions.

Functionality is trickier, especially as I’d argue OEMs and software engineers need to be paring back their ambitions rather than adding to them. Where Toshiba went wrong – in my opinion – with the Libretto, and where Acer has gone wrong with the Iconia, is in trying to make them all-things to all-users. Full Windows machines, they therefore demand full x86 processors (rather than more frugal ARM chips) and attempt not only to do the interesting, eye-catching finger-and-touch stuff that makes them unique, but everything a $400 notebook does too. That generally means on-screen keyboards, with all the mediocre tactile feedback which goes along with them.

That desperation to make one device everything to every user means battery consumption goes up, higher-power components are needed, and thus the whole thing gets expensive. Often it’s the software which gets left behind; the dual-displays are considered the draw in and of themselves, Star Trek style selling points which are never really taken advantage of. So far we’ve seen nothing from the Sprint Echo that a big, single-screen Android smartphone couldn’t achieve just as well. Yes, there have been tweaks to run two apps on two screens simultaneously, but beyond that it’s business as usual – only business with double the power drain.

Sprint Kyocera Echo hands-on demo:

I can’t be alone in wondering whether simply strapping two iPads together – each half having its own battery good for 10hrs+ of runtime – with a hinge down the middle isn’t the obvious solution. TI, NVIDIA, Marvell and other ARM-based chip manufacturers have been showing off multi-display capable SoCs for the past couple of years, each able to run two or more touchscreens while still sipping power. Tablet-scale devices have the room to accommodate the sort of bigger batteries that would make smartphones too chunky for the average pocket or purse, and the ARM chipset support for Android (or other “mobile” platforms) would mean native finger-control without the half measures of Windows 7.

You’d need the right software, though, so how about, instead of a couple of iPads, pairing two HTC Flyer slates. HTC has already finessed Android with active stylus control, Evernote integration and everything else which makes the Flyer unique; all they need to do is double it up and make a slick, dual-7-inch clamshell, a true digital notebook for the internet age. If anybody can do it, segue away from the core, single-screen Android ethos as seen through Google’s eyes, and deliver something sufficiently customized and polished to be appealing both on paper and in practice, it’s probably HTC.

Dual-touch may well be the future of mobile devices, but it’ll take more than a hinge and a reskin to deliver.

The Katsura looks to be an extra-wide tablet comparable to the Motorola Xoom in thickness. The backing looks like it’s a matte rubberized finish with branded designs molded into the cover. It seems like a comfortable tablet at first glance, as we know firsthand that although the XOOM might not be the thinnest tablet in the market, its casing is an excellent experience when it comes to handling it for hours on end.

It’s not certain what their source meant when he dubbed this device as a “gaming tablet.” First thoughts, it’s a wider tablet, which if it works like I hope it does, will give users and developers space for user interface alongside the game window. This design could be all about giving more window space where gamers need it most.

[via Android Community]

“Kyocera Echo’s unique design gives third-party developers a new opportunity to enhance and showcase the full functionality of their applications, without being restricted by screen space,” said Yasuhiro Ohishi, vice president of sales and marketing at Kyocera Communications Inc. “Echo supports virtually all applications available from Android Market, yet we’re excited to see so many developers embracing the new format and optimizing existing and new applications for the dual displays.”

Kyocera hopes that developers will create and/or optimize applications and features spanning across multiple popular categories including gaming, social networking, location-based services, mobile entertainment and productivity. The company is already working with some of the industry’s most popular game developers including Electronic Arts for the Sims 3, Gameloft, and NAMCO Bandai to take advantage of their unique dual-screen real layout.

[via Business Wire]

Imperium Holdings says that the seven companies infringed on five of its patents and is asking for damages and an injunction against the companies. The ‘651 patent describes “a solid state imaging device comprising a red pixel, blue pixel, a first green pixel, a second green pixel, two analog-to-digital converters and a color interpolation circuit.” The ‘715 patent involves a “CMOS image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in an array. The plurality of pixels includes a first pixel proximate an optical center of array, and a second pixel proximate a peripheral edge of the array.”

The ‘535 patent is “an improved semiconductor device that reduces reverse bias junction leakage in a photodiode by using a junction isolation region to isolate the photodiode from a trench isolation region. The improved semiconductor device improves image quality for different applications such as stand-alone digital cameras and digital cameras embedded in other imaging devices such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants.” The ‘768 patent describes “pixel correction system includes a dynamic range detection system that receives test pixel data and adjacent pixel data and determines whether the test pixel data is within minimum pixel characteristic data and maximum pixel characteristic data of the adjacent pixel data.”

The final patent is ‘884 which describes “an imager reduces lighting induced flicker by setting its pixel integration time to an integral multiple of the periods between peak intensity of the lighting. In one implementation, flicker is reduced in a 30 Hz frame rate camera capturing an image lighted with 50 Hz lighting by setting the integration time to approximately 10 ms, the period between lighting intensity peaks.”

[via The Loop]

The Echo was touted as the tablet that can fit in your pocket thanks to its sturdy unique hinge design that allows it to unfold into two 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreens. The two screens running side-by-side creates an overall 4.7-inch display. Although the clunky form factor makes the device less sexy, it is still an interesting direction.

Other features include a 5MP camera with flash, autofocus and digital zoom, 720p HD video, Stereo Bluetooth 2.1, external microSD card slot, and WiFi hotspot support for up to five devices. To be released with Android 2.2 Froyo, the Kyocera Echo can be pre-ordered starting March 26.

[via Android Community]

In terms of hardware, bar the double displays the Echo isn’t particularly unusual, or even outstanding given its soon-to-be flagship status among Sprint’s line-up. There’s 3G but no WiMAX 4G, a mere 5-megapixel camera (with 720p HD video recording) and a 1GHz single-core Snapdragon processor keeping things moving. Each capacitive touchscreen runs at 800 x 480 resolution; side-by-side you have a 4.7-inch display running at 800 x 960, though obviously with a gap down the middle.

Build quality feels solid, and the hinge is a particularly interesting – and reassuringlysturdy – piece of work. Kyocera has apparently gone patent-wild on its various features, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see the system show up in future devices. The touchscreens are responsive though don’t – currently – support pinch-zoom multitouch.

Sprint Kyocera ECHO hands-on

Since Android doesn’t support dual-displays natively, Kyocera had to do some work to get the OS up to speed. Seven of the native Android apps have been modified to work in dual-display mode, allowing you to have, say, the browser open on the top screen and your email on the bottom. While you might expect that to slow down the 1GHz CPU, the Echo’s multitasking system actually flips between the apps – in effect hibernating the one you’re not using at any one moment – so that the end result is reasonably smooth. Tapping both displays simultaneously calls up the task manager.

Unfortunately, third-party apps will have to wait until Sprint and Kyocera release the dual-display SDK before they can use the two panels to the full; until then, apps will merely run maximized across both screens. Still, it’s useful to be able to have a full-smartphone’s worth of display on show while still having an on-screen keyboard to use.

It’s difficult to imagine the exact target audience for the Sprint Kyocera Echo. Power users will inevitably run into issues around battery life; neither carrier nor manufacturer are talking numbers yet, but the fact that a second battery (with a standalone charging dock) will be bundled in the retail pack doesn’t bode well. Since the display is normally the biggest power drain, two panels likely means near to half the runtime of a regular handset. This isn’t a slimline handset to slip into a pocket or purse, either, and with the second battery the whole arrangement is bulky.

Nonetheless, as with the interesting-but-flawed Libretto W100, there’s something about twin touchscreens on a device that makes it inescapably appealing. Those geeks drawn in will likely find the $199 retail price to their taste as well, though that will have to be weighed against patchy dual-display functionality, battery limitations and the absence of 4G. We’re not convinced the Kyocera Echo was worth Sprint’s launch hype, but it’s certainly got us curious.

In single screen mode, the Echo sports a 3.5 inch WVGA screen and functions like a touchscreen smartphone. With dual screens open you get a 4.7 inch screen and you have the option of going into Simul-Task mode which allows you to operate two apps at the same time, one on each screen. And then there’s Optimized Mode that supports the optimized features on one single app split across both screens. And then lastly the Tablet Mode that allows you to spread one app across both screens especially good for viewing maps, videos, or websites.

The Kyocera Echo is priced at $199.99 with a new two-year service contract eligible for upgrades after a $100 mail-in rebate. The phone will be available this Spring.

Press Release:

Kyocera Echo, Exclusively from Sprint, Revolutionizes the Android Experience as the First Dual-Touchscreen Smartphone

Two screens connected by an innovative pivot hinge offer the ability to complete two tasks at once, taking the ability to multitask to a powerful new level

Available this spring for $199.99 after mail in rebate;
Visit sprint.com/echo to pre-register and check out images of the
only Android phone with two screens

NEW YORK – Feb. 7, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE: S) and Kyocera Communications Inc. today announced the first dual-touchscreen Android™ smartphone, Kyocera Echo™, exclusively from Sprint. This Android-powered device features two high-resolution 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen displays connected by a patent-pending “pivot hinge” that enables the two displays to operate independently, side-by-side or combined to form an oversized 4.7-inch (diagonally) integrated display.

Until now, a single screen on a smartphone could only be used to complete one task at a time, even with limited multitasking capabilities available on some smartphones. Kyocera Echo’s second screen provides the ability to do two things at the same time and get more done – send an email on one screen while surfing the web on the other, watch a video on one screen while texting on the other, comparison shop online with one web site on each screen and so much more.

Images and video of Kyocera Echo’s dynamic design in action are available now at www.echobykyocera.com. Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/echo.

In its closed position, Kyocera Echo is a pocket-friendly, single-display smartphone. When opened, Kyocera Echo reveals a revolutionary new platform for wireless multitasking and gives customers a new level of versatility in Android. Its innovative hardware and optimized software enables consumers to use the touchscreens in four unique ways:
• Single-Screen Mode with all the functionality of a single-display, touch-screen smartphone.
• Simul-Task™ Mode with two of the phone’s seven core apps (messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, phone, gallery, contacts and VueQue™) running concurrently but independently on the dual displays – e.g., reading e-mail on one screen and opening a text message on the other; checking Facebook® via the browser on one screen while looking through a photo gallery on the other; or even searching the Web on one screen and checking email on the other.
• Optimized Mode with both displays supporting a single, optimized app with complementary functionality and enhanced usability – e.g., composing e-mail on one screen with a touchscreen keyboard on the other; watching a YouTube™ video on one display while browsing and queuing additional YouTube videos on the other (with a preloaded Kyocera app called VueQue™); or viewing gallery images on one display while browsing image thumbnails on the other.
• Tablet Mode with one application spread across both displays for a full 4.7-inch viewing area. Tablet Mode is ideal for viewing maps, videos, websites, detailed documents, and long lists on-the-go.
“Sprint is proud to boast the most powerful Android portfolio available today and Echo adds to that legacy with industry-leading technology that will change the way our customers use smartphones,” said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. “Today’s busy schedules often demand that we do at least two things at once. Kyocera Echo is the first device that allows us to do a different task on each of two screens while also providing a tablet-like, larger screen experience that easily fits in a pocket when closed.”

Kyocera Echo will be available this spring for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade and after a $100 mail-in rebate in all Sprint retail channels, including the Web (www.sprint.com) and Telesales (1-800-Sprint1). Pricing excludes surcharges and taxes.

“For years Kyocera has provided handsets to Sprint’s Prepaid Group and MVNOs, as well as to Sprint under the Sanyo brand,” said Eiichi Toriyama, president of Kyocera Communications Inc. “We value greatly our relationship with Sprint and we are thrilled that they have chosen Echo as the standout product with which to reintroduce its customers to the Kyocera brand. With Kyocera Echo, we are proud to give Sprint an iconic, industry-changing device that delivers an entirely new experience for smartphone users.”

Kyocera Echo also includes customized apps optimized for the dual-screen Optimized Mode experience including VueQue™, which lets users watch a YouTube video on one display while browsing, queuing and buffering additional YouTube videos on the other display. Additional applications optimized for the dual-screen experience include:
• Messaging and e-mail: Users can turn the device horizontally and use the top display to view the e-mail/message application while using the lower display as a full-sized virtual keyboard.
• Browser: Takes the browser experience of a standard 3.5-inch smartphone and enhances it, allowing users to view two websites simultaneously.
• Gallery: Users can scroll through thumbnail images on one screen while viewing an enlarged image on the other.
• Contacts/phone: Users can view more of the phone’s contact directory or an expanded virtual dial pad.

Beyond the dual touchscreen innovation, Kyocera Echo operates on the Android 2.2 system and has access to more than 100,000 apps in Android Market™ – everything from Facebook to Angry Birds. Additional key features include:
• Sprint’s nationwide 3G network and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)*
• Wi-Fi hotspot capability, which supports wireless connections for up to five devices
• 5-megapixel camera with flash, autofocus and digital zoom
• 720p HD camcorder to quickly capture those on-the-go memorable moments
• Corporate (Exchange ActiveSync®) and personal (POP & IMAP) e-mail, IM (Google Talk™), text messaging
• Media player with a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack
• Stereo Bluetooth® 2.1 (+ EDR)
• Full HTML Web browser with Google Search™
• 1GHz Snapdragon processor (QSD 8650 Android)
• 1 gigabyte (GB) of onboard memory and an 8GB microSD™ card for the external memory card slot supporting cards up to 32GB
• Voice and text prompts in both English and Spanish

Kyocera Echo comes packaged with a spare battery (1370 mAh) and a low-profile charging cradle. Along with charging the spare battery independently of the phone, the charging cradle also can tether the spare to Kyocera Echo as an external power supply.

Additional Google™ features include Google Maps™, Google Talk™, Gmail™, synchronization with Google Calendar™, and access to Google Goggles™ to search with pictures instead of words. With Sprint, Kyocera Echo users have access to Sprint Zone™, providing one-stop wireless account access, phone tips, news, a list of top apps plus TeleNav GPS Navigator, Sprint TV and Movies® and more.

A Software Development Kit (SDK) and developer guide for Kyocera Echo will be available before the launch on the Sprint Application Developer Program (ADP) website at http://developer.sprint.com/android. The developer guide will provide details on developing for a dual-screen handset and Android 2.2 device. It also will provide information on how to take advantage of Kyocera Echo’s unique hardware and software capabilities on the Sprint Network. The Sprint ADP has been providing tools for third-party developers since Sprint first launched the Wireless Web on its phones in 2001.

Some competitors may offer lower prices, but Sprint customers get more with unlimited data while on the Sprint Network with their monthly plan. Sprint offers real simplicity, value and savings vs. competitors, making it easy for customers to get the most out of their phones without using a calculator to tally up costs or worrying about how much data they’ve used.

Kyocera Echo requires activation on one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge – a savings of $39.99 per month vs. Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and Web, and $35 per month vs. AT&T’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and just 2GB of data (excluding Verizon’s Southern California plan; pricing excludes surcharges and taxes.)

Sprint Everything Data plans qualify for automatic enrollment in the Sprint PremierSM loyalty program1. Existing Sprint customers can switch to an Everything Data plan without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.

An optional charge of just $29.99 per month turns on Kyocera Echo’s mobile hotspot feature, connecting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, gaming devices and digital cameras, at 3G speeds anywhere on the Sprint 3G network (pricing excludes surcharges and taxes).

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 48.8 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, Common Cents Mobile and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

About Kyocera Communications Inc.

Kyocera Communications Inc. (KCI) is the headquarters for Kyocera- and Sanyo-branded wireless products and accessories in the Americas. The company’s devices are driving the convergence of telecommunications, broadband and multimedia. KCI was formed in April 2009 through the combination of Kyocera Wireless Corp. and Kyocera Sanyo Telecommunications Inc., two wholly owned subsidiaries of Kyocera International Inc. The former was created when Kyocera purchased QUALCOMM Incorporated’s consumer wireless phone business in 2000, while the latter was formed when Kyocera purchased the wireless phone business of Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. in 2008. Based in San Diego, KCI leverages Japan’s history of creating advanced consumer technologies around humanism and respect for the environment and blending them with a Western entrepreneurialism and style, resulting in a unique design language and a natural, user-friendly interface. For more information, please visit http://www.kyocera-wireless.com or follow the company on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kyoceramobilephones.

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO) (TOKYO:6971) (http://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, office-document imaging equipment, solar power generating systems, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cutting tools and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2010, the company’s net sales totaled 1.07 trillion yen (approximately US $11.5 billion). Kyocera marked its 50th anniversary in 2009, and the 40th anniversary of its U.S. operations. It is ranked #554 on Forbes magazine’s 2010 “Global 2000″ listing of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.

Functionally, the Echo is expected to either multitask, with an app to each display, or to allow items to be dragged between panes. The hinge – which we’re assuming is a double-jointed arrangement – will apparently allow the Echo to be folded with one screen flat behind the other, turning it into a more traditional single-touchscreen device.

The whole concept sounds similar to what Fujitsu showed off in prototype form at last year’s CEATEC, shown above, though obviously a whole lot more commercially-ready. However, the WSJ suggests the Kyocera Echo will be 3G-only, rather than use Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network. SlashGear will be at the Sprint event later today, so we’ll be bringing you back all the details no matter what the carrier unveils.

[via Android Community]

Considering the pretty straight forward design, it’s surprising that no one has thought of this before. But, Kyocera is the first to jump on it, bringing to the world a regular looking bike stand that actually features solar cells on it. Once an electric bike is plugged into the rack, the bike will charge. There will be different variations of the stand that Kyocera puts out into the market. The main version will be one that features three solar modules, which will be able to put out a total output of 79.8V.

Electric bikes are taking off, especially in Japan, so it makes sense that Kyocera would want to develop a new way for them to be charged. Especially ones that focus on the environment, much like the bikes themselves. However, with helping the environment usually does, it doesn’t come cheap. For $23,000, someone can install the new Solar Cycle Station right now.

[via CrunchGear]

CTIA Day -1: Arrive in Las Vegas a full day and a half early, as the day before the show is often full of trade shows and meetings. Not this year. I looked into moving to a later flight and spending another day with my family, but the flights were all overbooked. Discover that there are people coming to this town for vacations. Really? Who knew. Car rental place promises eternal damnation if I don’t take the extra insurance. Don’t take the extra insurance anyway.

Park in my usual spot in the Hilton’s North parking garage. Yes, I’m here often enough to have a usual spot. Strikes me that this is really sad. Laugh at the couple walking hand-in-hand trying to figure out what entertainment the Hilton offers (answer: none. They killed the Star Trek Experience and even Barry Manilow pulled up shop to moved to a rival venue). Check into hotel and start writing a report under embargo on Palm’s Pre Plus and Pixi Plus coming to AT&T. Make mistake of turning on TV, get nowhere on the report.

CTIA Day 0: Spend most of the day holed up in the hotel catching up on email and non-CTIA-related reports. Shut down in late afternoon to head to the Bellagio for a Motorola dinner. Walk about a mile inside the hotel (literally) trying to find the right ballroom. Discover later that there was a much shorter route – and I’ve been to the ballrooms in this hotel at least a dozen times before. The dinner was basically an informal way to introduce the Motorola i1 Android phone for Sprint’s iDEN (Nextel) network. The i1 could be mistaken for the CLIQ XT at T-Mobile – I had one on hand for comparison – though it has been ruggedized somewhat. Pouring water on it did no damage, but I was asked to refrain from dunking it in the water cup (take a note: analysts make terrible dinner companions). The i1 should do fairly well; there are still a lot of people on the iDEN network who are looking for something other than the single RIM BlackBerry Sprint offers.

Left the dinner early to head to the Renaissance for ShowStoppers. Discover I missed meeting Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe at Motorola. Oh well. Showstoppers is one of two evening events geared towards press and analysts; it’s a large room with vendor tables staffed by senior PR execs and product managers, and can be the best way to see a lot of products and build relationships with the companies. Unfortunately, building relationships was all I did at this particular event, as there wasn’t much new to see.

From there I drove over to the Venetian and followed the giant deceptive billboards to the Tao (it’s just a regular nightclub; I have yet to see the bare-backed woman in the ads) for Verizon Wireless’ low key party. At the Fall CTIA party I had a terrific conversation with Verizon CEO Lowell McAdams without any PR handlers around, but this time I spent most of my time talking to the PR handlers themselves.

Back to the hotel and a few more minutes of writing the Palm report before heading to bed.

CTIA Day 1: With my staff attending the keynotes, I headed straight to carrier meetings and press conferences at the convention center. After meetings at one end of the convention center, walked to the other end of the convention for Samsung’s gala Galaxy S launch. I can’t describe how happy I was to find that the wacky dance troupe from Barcelona was not back for an encore; instead, a troupe put on a multimedia play showing a day in the life of a Galaxy S user that was surprisingly effective. The Galaxy S has an amazing screen, but perhaps more amazing is that the software Samsung is adding to Android 2.1 actually appears to enhance the overall user experience, something I can’t say for TouchWiz on the Behold II. After getting some hands-on time with a unit and coming away impressed, I walked to the other end of the convention for a T-Mobile presentation on its HDPA+ network.

T-Mobile had a small room and no chairs because analysts and journalists like walking and standing all day. T-Mobile claims that its HSPA+ network will be able to download files as fast as rivals’ 4G networks, and it is just a software upgrade for its existing base stations, unlike WiMAX or LTE. They showed off a nice little data stick and a Dell netbook with HSPA+ capabilities. I have two problems with T-Mobile’s message here: 1) it’s great that HSPA+ is just a software upgrade, but just like its competitors, it hasn’t been broadly deployed yet and there are no handsets that take advantage of it, 2) I get the feeling that consumers aren’t going to buy a marketing message that goes, “our 3G network is faster than their 4G network for file downloads” because 4 is a bigger number than 3, and who really cares about file downloads? Are people really downloading files all day to their phones?

I then walked all the way back to the other end of the convention center again for Sprint’s big press conference. First thing you notice: no chairs here, either. Then the music hits ear-splitting levels because event people seem to believe this will pump you up and make you more receptive to the message to come. In actual fact, it makes it harder to hear the message to come because you have been temporarily been rendered deaf. Sprint’s message was worth hearing, and boiled down to, “our 4G network is faster than their 3G network, and we’ve got an insane phone, HTC’s EVO 4G, that can use the network to do cool things, like watching YouTube in HD.” (Of course, if you want to download files for some reason, you can do that, too.) Sprint did a great job showing how the combination of high end hardware and a fast network can create a unique user experience, and the EVO 4G launch was clearly the high point of the show.

However, the show was not yet over, and it was time to walk halfway back to the other end of the convention center again, this time for a quick meeting with an OS vendor and then on to moderate a panel discussion about why we have a dozen mobile operating systems. Goes well.

Out for a quick dinner, and on to Pepcom’s Mobile Focus, which is a lot like Showstoppers only with more handset vendors. I had missed a Kyocera analyst event while I was doing the panel, so I stopped by their table for some quick hands on time with the new Zio (an undifferentiated Android phone, but one that could cause RIM some trouble in the prepaid market). I then moved to Dell’s table where an Aero was sitting on the table next to Dell’s new Android phones for Brazil and China. Unfortunately, Dell wouldn’t allow the Aero to be powered up, so here’s what I know: It’s a thin, plastic device running Android [unknown] version with an [unknown] user interface overlay with [unknown] features and is coming to AT&T at [unknown] date at [unknown] price. When a client asked what my analytical option was, I replied with [unknown] insights.

At HTC’s table, they confirm that an HD2 is on the way to my house. That’s great, but I could really have used it at the show – it comes preloaded with the Transformers movie, which I have not seen but it has to be better than the terrible drama Continental is showing on the West-to-East route on the way home. At Sony Ericsson’s table, get hands on time with all the phones launched last month at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona; I missed the launch event there because Samsung scheduled its Wave press insanity at the same time. I already have an XPERIA X10, so it was a bit of a shock to see the X10 mini. This isn’t a smaller version of the X10, it’s a Honey-I-Shrunk-The-Phone version of the X10. I wonder if any of the X10’s user experience can translate to such a small form factor. Even the full size phones aren’t necessarily that big – the Vivaz is a wisp of a phone that does not look like it is big enough to have HD video recording capabilities.

I skipped further evening festivities to return to my room, attempt to write that Palm report again, and pass out.

CTIA Day 2: I skipped a breakfast meeting where Samsung talked LTE and instead actually finished the Palm report, then started writing up the EVO 4G before heading over to the convention center for late morning meetings. The first one was with a silicon vendor in the meeting room area, which is at the absolute back of Central Hall. Next, it was halfway back to the North Hall for AT&T’s annual press and analyst lunch. You know what’s great about lunch meetings? No, not the food – I keep strictly kosher and don’t eat at most of these events – but you’re pretty much guaranteed to have chairs. AT&T switches things up and doesn’t talk about the speed of its network at all, focusing instead on devices: it has the highest smartphone penetration rate of any carrier in the world, and the rest of its lineup has been overtaken by “QMDs,” which sounds like a weapon stockpiled by dictators, but is actually AT&T’s term for QWERTY featurephones. AT&T also showed off a tablet not made by Apple, and AT&T is making a serious push into connecting every device you can buy at Best Buy. Seriously, that’s Glen Lurie’s goal for his next performance review. Good luck, Glen!

Unfortunately, I had to leave early to make my next meeting with a handset vendor whose booth is way in the front of Central Hall. While walking the half mile or so, AGAIN, it occurs to me that this is the first time I have set foot on in the Expo at all. I didn’t actually have a chance to see any of the booths at that point because that meeting was followed by two others with a regional U.S. carrier and a distributor. On my way out to get dinner I was waylaid by representatives from two clients; we catch up, they ask for a recap of the show so far, and we tell funny stories to each other until my brain points out that if I get dinner I will not collapse from hunger. And, as a bonus, I will get to sit down.

After dinner, it’s off to a 3 hour Nokia strategy event for analysts where Nokia does a credible job of explaining its Symbian roadmap but doesn’t inspire confidence that the company will be a force in North America any time soon.

After this, several members of my team head to AT&T’s party, but I go back to the hotel to do more writing and pack up for the return flight.

CTIA Day 3: Scramble to edit staff reports on Samsung’s Galaxy S and Kyocera’s Zio before heading to the convention center for one last meeting. Look at my automatically-generated boarding pass and realize that my flight boarding time has been pushed up, so I cancel my morning vendor meeting. Then Continental delays the flight. The meeting is back on, but I don’t want to risk missing the flight in case the delay is reduced, so I run the entire way to the convention center and back. Get to the airport fairly quickly (if you use I-15 and ignore the signs to the airport, you can cut the drive to the rental car return area significantly) and encounter no hassles returning the car, which is mildly miraculous. Security lines are long, but I’m through with plenty of time to sit for hours with Eric Zeman of Phonescoop while Continental finds a plane that flies properly. The 4:50 flight boards before our 2:20 flight. Once on board, the flight attendant asks us to turn off all BlackBerries, blueberries, strawberries, boisenberries, and Halle Berries. Cute. I tweet, “Cue Sheryl Crow – I’m Leaving Las Vegas” and shut down.

Kyocera has announced that it will acquire Sony’s TFT LCD design and manufacturing facility. Kyocera has announced that it has reached an agreement with Sony Corporation and Sony subsidiary Sony Mobile Display Corporation to acquire part of the TFT LCD business ran by Sony.

Kyocera reports that the acquisition will be carried out via a corporate split with Kyocera getting the TFT facility in Yasu City, Japan. The deal will be effective on June 1, 2010 and employees working in the facility will be transferred to Kyocera on the same day.

The Zio device runs on the CDMA2000 1x EVDO rev A network and sports WiFi. The screen of the handset is 3.5-inches and is touch capable. A track ball for navigation also complements the touchscreen. Other features include a 3.2MP camera that can record video at 30fps and a media player.

A full HTML browser is integrated along with Google Maps and widgets for Facebook, Twitter, and more. Internal memory for the M6000 is 256MB and an additional 32GB is supported via a microSD card slot. The handset measures 116 x 58.6 x 12.2mm and claims up to six hours of talk time and 18 days on standby. Pricing and availability are unknown at this time.

Kyocera’s base station weighs less than 26.5 pounds and has a volume of 12 liters with 8 watts of transmit power, those figures are a fraction of typical base stations according to Kyocera. The device is designed to fill gaps in coverage areas and overloaded hot spots with the ability to cooperate with existing macro base stations in a scalable heterogeneous network.

Also being demonstrated at MWC by Kyocera will be its larger 39.7-pound macro base station with a volume of 20 liters and consuming no more than 211 watts of power. Kyocera claims that the specifications for its macro base station are significantly less than other similar devices on the market.

The Laylo is equipped with a 2.2-inch high-resolution contoured display, 1.3 megapixel camera, and a hidden vanity mirror.  The attention-grabbing Domino is outfitted with a large display, roomy keyboard, and full-bodied sound quality.  Both have WAP 2.0 browers, Bluetooth 2.0, and share the ability to run BREW-based apps, a full set of features offered by MetroPCS including news, sports, weather content as well as email access, instant messaging, contact management, and a plethora of others.

The Kyocera Laylo is priced affordably at $100 before rebate, and the Domino at $70 before rebate.

The Kyocera G2GO M2000 has Bluetooth and supports various messaging formats, including SMS, MMS, IM and IMAP/POP3.  There’s also a 1.3-megapixel camera with an onboard editing app, an accelerometer to flip the 2.4-inch QVGA display orientation, and a microSD slot good for up to 8GB cards.  It measures 113 x 52 x 17mm and weighs 120g.

As for the Kyocera Laylo M1400, it has a 2.2-inch QVGA display, slide-out self-portrait mirror on the rear and VGA camera.  It also has Bluetooth 2.0, a WAP 2.0 browser and JAVA, together with a speakerphone, SMS/MMS messaging and instant messaging.  It measures 94.7 x 46.7 x 17mm and weighs 90g.

Kyocera are yet to announce which US carrier has picked up the two handsets.

Press Release:

Kyocera Communications Inc. Unveils Third-Generation QWERTY Texting Phone and Stylish New Slider at CTIA Wireless 2009

- G2GO M2000 and Laylo M1400 Combine Best-in-Class Features with Affordability and Big ‘Bang for the Buck’ -

CTIA Wireless 2009
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kyocera Communications Inc. (KCI), the newly formed sales, marketing and service organization for Kyocera- and Sanyo-branded wireless devices in the Americas, today announced two new Kyocera CDMA handsets at the CTIA Wireless 2009 trade show in Las Vegas. The G2GO M2000 (pronounced “Good-to-Go”) and Laylo M1400 address a need for affordability and value in today’s challenging economy, yet they also come from product categories in which Kyocera has rich history and expertise.

The G2GO M2000 is Kyocera’s third-generation handset to offer a full QWERTY keypad in a low-cost, text-centric device. It’s a category Kyocera helped to create with the introduction of the Strobe in early 2006. Kyocera’s Laylo M1400 is an ultra-stylish slider design, a form factor Kyocera brought to the North American CDMA handset market in 2003 with the SE47 Slider.

“The G2GO and Laylo support our current strengths as an innovative leader in handset manufacturing providing consumers with a blend of style, functionality and affordability,” said Eric Anderson, vice president of sales at KCI. “The integration of Kyocera Wireless and the former Sanyo mobile handset group is expanding those strengths to include higher-tiered handsets going forward while still providing functional, affordable and feature-rich devices like these.”

Kyocera G2GO M2000

A follow-up to the very successful Lingo M1000 QWERTY handset, the Kyocera G2GO M2000 sports a stylish design with slide-out QWERTY keypad and Bluetooth® wireless technology to make messaging a snap via SMS, EMS, MMS, Instant Messaging, and IMAP/POP3 email*. For the photo obsessed, the G2GO can’t be beat. It includes a full-featured 1.3 megapixel camera with dedicated key, digital zoom and photo editing. The phone uses an accelerometer to switch the huge 2.4-inch QVGA display from portrait to landscape orientation as the phone is turned. The G2GO also features a music player with dedicated keys and playlist management and a microSD™ card slot for up to 8GB of additional music and picture storage.

Additional features include built-in MP3 and polyphonic ringtones, screensavers, wallpapers and caller alerts, predictive text-input software for rapid text entry, Java™ support, a WAP 2.0 browser and BREW® 3.1.5 technology to download games, ringers, wallpapers, and more. Voice recognition features include voice tags, voice digit-dialing and voice response. Handy tools include scheduler, calculator, alarm clock, stopwatch, tip calculator, countdown timer, voice memos and airplane mode along with a directory that can store up to 500 contacts.

The handset measures 113 x 52 x 17 mm, weighs just 120 grams and boasts a talk time up to 250 minutes and standby time of up to 200 hours.

Kyocera Laylo M1400

The Kyocera Laylo slides into style with a compact design that opens to a large, bright 2.2-inch contoured QVGA display for edge-to-edge screen viewing. Perfect for the on-the-go user, the Laylo features a slide-out self portrait vanity mirror on the back. A large keypad with tactile and visual separation makes for faster, easier typing. The very affordable handset also features a VGA camera with digital zoom for quick snaps. The Laylo features Bluetooth® 2.0 wireless technology, a WAP 2.0 browser, and is both BREW® 3.1.5 and JAVA™ enabled.

Other great Laylo features include a speakerphone with dedicated key, speaker-independent voice recognition, MMS, SMS and instant messaging, a contact directory of 500 names with up to five numbers each and convenience tools such as alarm, calculator, scheduler, stopwatch, timer, tip calculator and world clock.

The handset measures 94.7 x 46.7 x 17.0 mm and weighs in at just 90 g. It boasts a talk time of up to 200 minutes and a standby time of 200 hours.

This latest texting phone is mostly keyboard and somewhat cheap looking. But that’s okay. This texting device hones in on one or two primary features, meaning extravagance isn’t required. Other features include the Sprint Seven email program, Microsoft Exchange support, a 1.3-megapixel camera, speakerphone, Bluetooth, GPS and more.

The screen measures in at 2.2-inches with a 320 x 240 resolution. One cute feature is a dedicated button for inserting emoticons. But just because there are texting features aplenty on this phone, it’s by no means smart. You can get the SCP-2700 on May 10 for $29.99.

[via Gearlog]

Other Kyocera X-tc specs include a QVGA 262k color display, dedicated music keys, mobile web access, email and IM.  There’s also access to Facebook Mobile, a microSD cards slot and voice dialing, all in a body just 4.37 x 2.05 x 0.68 inches and weighing 3.89oz.  It’s available now, priced at $99 with no contract.

As for the Kyocera JAX, it’s saying something when the most exciting part of a phone are its ringtones.  Still, it’s a relatively skinny little thing at 13mm thick, with a basic 128 x 160 display, web browser and SMS support.  No word on when it might be available, but I can’t imagine there are many people holding their breath.

[via Unwired View]

If it were created, Toyota would be the first major manufacturer to add a car with built-in solar panels and release it to the mass market. The third generation Prius isn’t due to be released until 2009 or the 2010 model year.

The picture shown here is quite obviously an artists rendering, since this is very much still a rumor. Hopefully soon Toyota will give us some juicy details and confirm these rumors.

[via treehugger]

Gizmodo are vaguely generous and say that while normal folk won’t give a monkey’s butt-cheeks there’ll nonetheless be texting and IM freaks getting a kick out of the M1000′s full QWERTY keyboard and EV-DO for speedy exchanges.  I’m less generous (in this biscuit-deprived mood): just how ergonomic is it to be trying to tap at a keyboard with your fingers underneath your nose, since you have to hold the damn thing so close so as to see the screen?

Look at the M1000 in comparison to the recently-announced Helio Ocean.  They’re light-years apart.  I’m sure someone will buy the Kyocera; I just hope I’m not around to be involved in the spree of violence and hate when they realise they’ve locked themselves into a 12+ month contract for this dreary slab of wretchedness.

Mobileburn [via Gizmodo]

Available in three colours – mirror orange, cyano blue, and metal silver (that’ll be orange, blue and silver then, will it?) – there’s an EPG for planning what you’re going to watch, an FM tuner for while you wait until your show is on, and a 2-megapixel camera for taking snapshots of your jealous friends.

Making a pleasant change from most craptastic earphones bundled with mobiles these days, the W51K comes complete with a set of Sony MDR-E0931′s for your commute.  It’ll also play-back a variety of video and audio formats, and I’d assume there’s some sort of memory slot to augment the internal 65MB.

Available in Japan now.

Kyocera [via Krunker]