Review: Kyocera Echo
The Kyocera Echo is certainly one of most intriguing handsets to come along in recent memory. Do two screens make for a better handset? That really depends on your point of view.
First, the Kyocera fails the basics in my book. The two screens necessitate the need for two batteries. Swapping out batteries day in and day out, and remembering to charge them both, will be painful over the long haul from my perspective. Even with both batteries, I was unable to get through an entire day of what I consider to be average use for this device. Let's not forget how inconsistently the Echo connects to Sprint's network and how cruddy call quality is.
Second, the industrial design will surely turn people off. There's absolutely nothing appealing about the hardware in terms of looks or how it feels in the hand or the pocket. While we need to cut Kyocera some slack because the form factor played a large role in the design and engineering of the Echo, I wish it were much more refined.
However, the ability to use different apps on the two different screens is an eye-opening step forward. The Echo is the first handset that can honestly and truly multitask, as far as I am concerned. The four modes of operation offer a wide range of ways to use the Echo that will certainly appeal to some folks out there. As more applications are developed to support the Optimized and Simul-Task modes, the Echo will only grow in is multitasking powers.
Hands-On: Kyocera Echo
Kyocera Echo Sports Two Displays, Hinged Design
Kyocera Echo
