CES 2016
The mother of all trade shows, the Consumer Electronics Show takes over Vegas for the first week of January. Some major phones are usually announced, and we'll have hands-on reports for each one. This year, we expect big news from Huawei, Samsung, Sony, and Blu. Plus we'll have hands-on details of other interesting apps, services, and accessories in the world of phones.
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Hands-On with Kyocera DuraXE and DuraForce XD
Kyocera kicked off CES with two new phones for AT&T. The DuraXE is a rugged flip and the DuraForce XD is a rugged phablet. Both are practically unbreakable and come with business and consumer-friendly features. Here are our first impressions of these two handsome handsets.
Cricket Scores the Waterproof Kyocera Hydro View
Kyocera and Cricket Wireless today announced the Hydro View, a waterproof Android smartphone that is similar to the Hydro Air. The View is rated IP57 against water and dust and can sit in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. It features a 5-inch qHD screen with wet finger tracking. The View is powered by a 1.1 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor with 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, and support for memory cards up to 64 GB. The rear camera can capture 5-megapixel images or 1080p HD video. The front camera rates 2 megapixels. Radios include LTE, Bluetooth 4.1, and WiFi with support for mobile hotspot. The Hydro View runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and comes with several of Kyocera's apps and services, such as EcoMode and MaxiMZR to keep the 2160mAh battery up and running. The Kyocera Hydro View will hit Cricket stores January 8 for $79.99.
Kyocera Delivers Rugged DuraXE Flip Phone to AT&T
Kyocera and AT&T today announced the DuraXE, an ultra-rugged feature phone that includes PTT and hotspot capabilities. The DuraXE is rated mil-spec 810G for durability and IP68 for protection against water and dust. The phone can handle shock, vibrations, blowing rain, temperature extremes, high humidity, and immersion in 6 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. The DuraXE has dual screens, including a 1.08-inch external monochrome display and a 2.6-inch main color display. The phone is powered by a 1.1 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor and includes 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, and supports memory cards up to 32 GB. The phone runs on AT&T's LTE network and includes GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi. It can serve as a mobile hotspot for up to 10 other devices, which is novel for a non-smart phone. Kyocera says the 1500mAh battery provides extended standby time. AT&T will begin selling the DuraXE January 8. It will cost $13.50 per month for 20 months on an AT&T installment plan. AT&T will also sell the DuraForce XD phablet, announced several months ago, on January 8. The DuraForce XD will cost $14.97 per month with an AT&T Next 24 plan. Contract pricing is available only to business customers.
