14 DAY TRIAL // Kyocera has just announced the availability of the first rugged mobile phone priced under $100, the Sanyo Taho. The feature-phone is available starting today through Sprint stores for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.
The manufacturer claims that the Taho can withstand 30 minutes of full immersion in water up to one meter deep. It features military standard 810G certification, which means it can stand up to dust, shock, vibration, extreme temperatures and blowing rain.
“This is our first handset that pairs a tough, military-grade design with features to stand up to the rigors and demands of extreme jobs and lifestyles,” said Yasuhiro Ohishi, vice president of sales and marketing at Kyocera Communications Inc.
“This is the answer for people who are rough on phones or, for whatever reason, regularly find themselves around water. Between outdoor sports and jobs that routinely involve harsh environments, Sanyo Taho will help make sure its users are always connected. Anyone who has lost a phone to the elements will understand its value,” added Ohishi.
In terms of tech specs, Sanyo Taho fails to impress, as the clamshell comes with a small 2-inch QVGA TFT internal display and 1-inch monochrome external display.
The phone packs 256 MB internal memory, microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB (1 GB memory card included) and a 2-megapixel camera with flash and camcorder. The phone's battery can provide a talk time of up to 6.1 hours.
The Taho uses Sprint's CDMA 1xEV-DO network technology and supports third-party location-based services such as Sprint Navigation and Sprint Family Locator.
Furthermore, Sanyo Taho users have the possibility to restrict incoming and outgoing voice calls with password protection, as well as disable both the camera and Web access.
The phone's location can always be tracked, as long as the GPS function is locked on.
