Kyocera Brigadier Sapphire Shield Test

Kyocera Brigadier

 Sapphire Shield Test

Kyocera is probably best known for making "those rugged phones" for just about every carrier out there, but the just-announced Brigadier on Verizon has a few things special about it. The headline feature here is the all-new Sapphire Shield display, which the Brigadier uses instead of a traditional glass-covered display to provide drastically higher screen durability. It makes a traditionally-rugged Kyocera phone even more indestructible, all without compromising features like visibility or touchscreen sensitivity.

But a synthetic sapphire-coated display isn't the only worthwhile feature of the Kyocera Brigadier — this phone actually has much higher specs than your average mid-range phone from the manufacturer. It all adds up to a great combination for those who need a phone that can basically go anywhere and look no worse for the wear. Read along for our first impressions of the Kyocera Brigadier and a torture test of its Sapphire Shield display.

This review is brought to you by Android Central

Abusing the Kyocera Brigadier

Abusing the Kyocera Brigadier

This video does a good job of torturing the Kyocera Brigadier with a myriad of devices and tests.  The Sapphire Glass's strength is showcased by withstanding brute force from drops, scratches, stabs, and more.  Make no doubt about it, the Kyocera Brigadier is one tough phone that is built to withstand the harshest of elements and situations.

Kyocera Brigadier Smartphone

Kyocera Brigadier Smartphone

Quick Review

 This review by Juan Carlos Torres does a good job of giving you a quick overview of the new Sapphire Glass Kyocera Brigadier.  The cat is out of the bag and Kyocera indeed has in its repository the world's first non-luxury wallet-friendly sapphire glass toting smartphone. And just to show what it means when it says "tough", Kyocera has pushed two new YouTube videos that summarize the Brigadier's key rugged features as well as demonstrate the excruciatingly painful things you can do to this smartphone.

  Who better to know what tough really means than tough man Bear Grylls himself. This British adventurer is best known for his Discovery Channel series "Man vs. Wild" and, according to him, the Brigadier is crazy tough. After all, it meets IP65/68 dust and waterproof ratings as well as the US military's MIL-STD 810G standard. But the Kyocera Brigadier has one special trait not found in its Kyocera brethren: a Sapphire Shield display that is tough enough to withstand anything less than a diamond.

Kyocera Hydro Life costs just $124.99

Kyocera Hydro Life 

for T-Mobile, MetroPCS

 costs just $124.99

  Kyocera has added a new member to its Hydro family with the launch of the highly durable, yet affordable Hydro Life smartphone that’s headed to T-Mobile and MetroPCS in the US. The device will cost just $124.99 and offer HSPA+ connectivity on both carriers.

  Sadly, there’s no 4G LTE support onboard. TheKyocera Hydro Life comes with 4.5-inch qHD display and there’s a 2MP camera on the front. A 5MP snapper can be found on the rear, while a 2000mAh battery gets things up and running. The company is still keeping mum about the other components and we have no idea on what version of Android the handset runs.

  What we do know is that the proprietary Eco Mode and MaxiMZR apps have been included to extend the activity time. Unlike most super rugged smartphones which tend to look quite ugly with the extra protection on, this one has a simple appearance and looks no different from you average Android handset.

  The interesting part of the device is that it meets Military Standard 810G specifications which gives it added protection from shocks and drops. It’s also IP57-certified which means that it can be submerged at up to 3.28 feet for a maximum period of 30 minutes.

Known Kyocera Hydro Life specs:

- 4.5-inch qHD display

- 2MP front camera

- 5MP rear shooter

- HSPA+ connectivity

- 2000mAh battery

- Military Standard 810G- and IP57-certified design

  The Kyocera Hydro Life will be available for T-Mobile customers starting August 8 through Walmart, while MetroPCS plans to launch the device on the 29th. The aforementioned price is sans any taxes and fees.

Kyocera History: World First Camera Phone The Kyocera VP-210

World First Camera Phone

 The Kyocera VP-210

  Kyocera Corporation, an electronics manufacturer based in Kyoto, conducted a two year development campaign from 1997 to 1999 that resulted in the release of the VP-210 VisualPhone, the world’s first mobile colour videophone that also doubled as a camera phone for still photos. The camera phone was the same size as similar contemporary mobile phones, but sported a large camera lens and a 5 cm (2 inch) colour TFT display capable of displaying 65,000 colors, and was able to process two video frames per second. The 155 gram (5.5 oz.) camera could also take 20 photos and convey them by e-mail, with the camera phone retailing at the time for 40,000 yen, about US$325 in 1999.

  The VP-210 was released in May 1999 and used its single front-facing 110,000-pixel camera to send two images per second through Japan’s PHS mobile phone network system. Although its frame rate was crude and its memory is considered tiny in the present day, the phone was viewed as “revolutionary” at the time of its release.

  The Kyocera project was initiated at their Yokohama research and development center by Kazumi Saburi, one of their section managers. His explanation for the project was “Around that time, cellular handsets with enabled voice and SMS communication capabilities were considered to be just one among many personal communication tools. One day a simple idea hit us – ‘What if we were able to enjoy talking with the intended person watching his/her face on the display?’ We were certain that such a device would make cell phone communications much more convenient and enjoyable.”

  Saburi also stated that their R&D section had “nourished [the idea] for several years before” they received project approval from their top management which had encourage such forward-thinking research, because they “also believed that such a product would improve Kyocera’s brand image.” Their research showed that a “cell phone with a camera and color display provided a completely new value for users, It could be used as a phone, a camera and a photo album”. Technical challenges handled by about a dozen engineers at Kyocera over the two year development period included the camera module’s placement within the phone at a time when electronic components had not been fully reduced in size, as well as increasing its data transmission rate.