Kyocera Android Developer Program Launches To Support Echo

Since Sprint and Kyocera jointly announced the Echo Android-based device last month, we've had a hands-on look at it, and confirmed its arrival for April 17th at a price of $199. The Echo is the first smartphone to feature dual touchscreen displays in an attempt to be a tablet-smartphone hybrid. Kyocera today launched an Android developer program to entice developers to optimize apps for this unique display layout.

"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]