Kyocera DuraForce

Kyocera DuraForce 

New Rugged Smartphone

Kyocera is hanging tough.

Long after its name has faded from the mainstream, the phone-maker is carving out a niche creating rugged Android smartphones with waterproof and shock-proof capabilities, plus more besides.

The DuraForce that's going on sale with AT&T November 7 (online and for business customers) and November 21 (in retail stores), is the start of a new chapter. This is Kyocera's first GSM phone. Previously using CDMA technology, this opening up to GSM tech means that Kyocera is one stage closer to distributing its tougher phones in other GSM markets outside the US.

Tough stuff

Like any good rough 'n tumble phone, the DuraForce is meets certain specifications. In this case, it's IP68 certified for dust and water exposure (6 feet for up to 30 minutes). It also meets Military Standard 801G for all sorts of fun guarantees against elements like temperature and environmental extremes (including solar radiation and salt fog!). It also includes push-to-talk functionality, like a walkie-talkie, that works over Wi-Fi and LTE.

If you're starting to think that the DuraForce may be too much phone for you, you have a point. While Kyocera will gladly sell it to individuals looking for a little more peace-of-mind without buying an extra case, the real customers are businesses and government agencies looking for a phone to pass out to the fleet.

Hardware specs

The phone has a 4.5-inch, 720p HD display and runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat. There's a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and a 8-megapixel shooter on the back. A 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor meets 16GB of internal storage and 2GB RAM (you can also expand up to 32GB more). A 3,100mAh battery promises up to 17 hours talk time and 21 days of standby time.

Pricing

If you aren't buying the DuraForce through a business contract, it'll cost $50 with a two-year agreement and $0 down with $19.95 per month for 12 months with AT&T Next 12. Alternatively, AT&T Next 18 pricing is $0 down with $16.63 per month, or you could buy it outright for $390 without a contract.

This review is brought to you by CNET

The Kyocera Proteus

The Kyocera Proteus 

Wearable Collapsible Smartphone 

  As Kyocera continues to Innovate and create great advancements in Solar technology and indestructible mobile advancements such as the famed Sapphire Glass™, many pieces of great technology are discovered along the way.

  With flexible AMOLED displays offering a lower voltage solution to LED, their flexible nature can provide many uses.  The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge has already displayed a clever use for this with it's access bar on the rounded edge using a flexible AMOLED display.

Kyocera has displayed their most recent beta designs for testing at CEATEC (The CEATEC name stands for Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies and is Japan’s largest consumer electronics show) and the flexibility is quite remarkable.

  The Kyocera Proteus can be said to be inspired by the Lenovo Yoga series of hybrid Ultrabooks – being able to bend its display in four different methods to cater to different times and places where the Yoga is used, hence its naming convention that depicts the flexibility of it all.

  As for the Kyocera Proteus, you can hold it in your palm in the same manner as that of a smartphone when you are using its smartphone function, or there is also the option of wrapping it around your wrist like a bangle, and that would then kick in its vital sensors located behind the display which will deliver biological information including your heart rate, how fast you are walking or running, as well as number of steps taken – all in an effort to help you achieve your fitness goals.

  Not only that, you can “drape” it over a thin rail, where this is known as the Clip Style – making it ideal for those who are traveling on a bicycle. It would be interesting to know what kind of battery the Kyocera Proteus would make use considering the flexibility of the device – would it use segmented batteries so that it can even be rolled into a bangle? Only time will tell.

Information provided in part by Edwin Knee of Ubergizmo.com

Kyocera TorqueXT

Kyocera TorqueXT

  Kyocera Communications Inc. today announced the availability of the new Kyocera TorqueXT at Sprint locations nationwide. An ultra-rugged 4G LTE Android smartphone, TorqueXT is capable of surviving and thriving under life’s most extreme conditions – whether it’s a tumble down a mountainside or a drop in a puddle on the morning commute. TorqueXT is ready to take on the ‘misadventures’ of real life, allowing owners to live more and fear less when it comes to their smartphones. The TorqueXT is available beginning today through www.sprint.com, Sprint retail stores, 1-800-SPRINT1 and Sprint Business Sales. With Sprint Easy Pay, well-qualified buyers can purchase Kyocera TorqueXT with $0 down and 24 monthly payments of $15.00 (excludes taxes and surcharges1).

  Building on the success of the original Kyocera Torque, the first ultra-rugged 4G LTE Android Smartphone for Sprint, the new TorqueXT adds the Android™ KitKat 4.4.2 operating system and a substantial 20 gigabytes of internal memory. It also supports the Sprint® Direct Connect® expanded next-generation nationwide push-to-talk network.

  “Every piece of research, and every conversation had with a customer, indicates a great consumer need for a rugged smartphone that is affordable and easy to use. People don’t want to be afraid of going through life’s daily challenges—whether during work or play—and having to worry about breaking their phones,” said Eric Anderson, senior vice president and general manager of global sales and marketing at Kyocera Communications. “Kyocera has again done what we’re best at by combining the most robust, rugged Mil-Spec features with an easy-to-use, affordable Android smartphone to create a durable mobile device that supports not only the construction worker using Sprint Direct Connect but also the outdoor adventurer or the busy parent navigating everyday life with kids.”

TorqueXT SURVIVES THE EXTREME & THE EVERYDAY

  Built to Military Standard 810G, Kyocera TorqueXT’s ultra-rugged design withstands dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, water immersion and extreme temperatures. It is also certified for IP67, providing dust-tight defense and protection against water immersion for up to 30 minutes at a depth of up to 3.28 feet (one meter).

  TorqueXT has been tested to hold up against life’s extremes and features a ruggedized, impact-resistant display for added protection from scratches and cracks, a reinforced housing with non-slip Dura-Grip™ for extra durability, a long-lasting 2,500mAh Lithium Ion battery and added energy-saving features – MaxiMZR and Eco Mode apps for managing and conserving power consumption. It has a snappy 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon® MSM8960 dual-core processor, 20GB ROM/1GB RAM memory. Mobile payments are enabled by Near Field Communication (NFC) and the phone features Wi-Fi (b/g/n) and Stereo Bluetooth® (4.0 + LE/EDR) wireless technology support.

POWERFUL ENTERPRISE MOBILITY MANAGEMENT

  The Kyocera TorqueXT provides enhanced enterprise mobility management (EMM) tools, making it a smart choice for business users by providing access to all types of files using POLARIS® Office Viewer and Exchange Active Sync (EAS) with improved email client and advanced calendar and task functionality. With its strong security encryption with Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 and secure data-at-rest and data-in motion support, the TorqueXT keeps data secure even through virtual private network (VPN) connections.

  The TorqueXT Dura Grid widget offers “most popular” settings which can be customized with the users’ most frequently used apps and settings, configurable in a six- or nine-position layout with large, high-contrast icons for improved outdoor visibility.

  Sprint is committed to offering U.S. consumers the best value in wireless and double the data on nationally available plans. With the Sprint Family Share Pack, Sprint offers double the sharable high-speed data for smartphones, basic phones, tablets and mobile broadband devices. Sprint also offers customers unlimited talk, text and data while on the Sprint network for $60 per month with the Sprint $60 Unlimited Plan. Or for your business needs, the new Sprint® Business Share Plan will again double the data, now delivering 240GB to 800GB of data to business customers with 50 to 100 lines.

The Kyocera Brigadier Speaker Test

The Kyocera Brigadier 

Speaker Test

With a terrific amplification system and Kyocera's ingenious design of vibration producing speaker systems, the Kyocera Brigadier is head and shoulders above the competition in speaker clarity and maximum volume.

Spoiler alert: The Brigadier is louder than the HTC One M8. 

Often we have to sacrifice audio quality when ruggedizing our phones. I've never understood why though, as rugged phones are often used on LOUD job sites. Thankfully the front facing speakers on Kyocera's Brigadier make a world of difference.

Kyocera Duo Smartwatch

Kyocera Duo Smartwatch

  Looks like Kyocera is planning on jumping into the smartwatch game with the exciting new Kyocera Duo.  As both a wearable sensor and also as a watch, Kyocera's popularity among rugged mobile enthusiasts is sure to find a multitude of uses once released.

  This model was just released to the public at CEATEC, short for Cutting Edge IT & Electronics Comprehensive Exhibition.  Although there is virtually nothing that has been released as far as specs go, one thing is for sure, with all of the patented technology that Kyocera has come up with in the past year focused on durability, the Kyocera DUO should not disappoint.

  The desirable round face and rugged metal exterior present a durable yet portable design that is lacking in many of the wearable models out there currently.