14 DAY TRIAL // Sprint has just announced that it has added yet another Kyocera handset to its portfolio of rugged smartphones. Beginning May 9, customers will be able to pick up the Kyocera Hydro Vibe via the carrier's online webstore and brick and mortar locations.
According to Sprint, customers can purchase the Hydro Vibe for $0 down and 24 monthly payments of $9.59 (€6.9) on Easy Pay.
But Sprint will not be the only carrier in the United States to offer the Kyocera Hydro Vibe, as the operator has announced that Virgin Mobile will also sell the affordable smartphone beginning May 27 for only $150 (€110) outright.
“The demand for waterproof smartphones has only increased since Kyocera introduced the original Hydro in the U.S. In 2012. Hydro Vibe is the third generation of waterproof Kyocera devices Sprint has brought to our prepaid and postpaid customers,” said David Owens, senior vice president, product, Sprint.
The Hydro Vibe is an IP-57 rated smartphone that features protection against dust and water intrusion. Aside from that, the handset will take advantage of Sprint Spark technology where available.
With Sprint Spark, Kyocera Hydro Vibe users will be offered enhanced LTE service especially designed for high-demanding bandwidth apps and games.
Software-wise, the rugged smartphone has been confirmed to ship with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box, which is not that bad for a $150 (€110) mobile phone.
On the inside, the Hydro Vibe comes equipped with a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD memory card.
Kyocera Hydro Vibe supports wireless charging (PMA), NFC (Near Field Communication) and comes with a 2000 mAh battery, along with the company's proprietary Eco-Mode and MaxiMZR power-management apps.
The device makes use of Kyocera's Smart Sonic Receiver audio technology, which enables users to hear conversations more clearly in noisy environments.
“Kyocera is at the forefront of waterproof technology for mobile devices, proving that extra protection from life's accidents doesn't mean a smartphone has to be expensive and bulky,” concluded Eric Anderson, senior vice president and general manager of global sales and marketing at Kyocera Communications Inc.