Hasta La Gadget!

Kyocera handsets in the US typically debut on Sprint or smaller carriers like Boost or Cricket, but that doesn’t mean Verizon can’t have a go at devices from the Japanese company. First spied a few months ago, the Kyocera Hydro Elite is one such handheld headed for Big Red, and looks to be a waterproof model much like its Hydro predecessor. Indeed, the Hydro Elite can supposedly be immersed in up to 3.28 feet (1 meter) of water for almost half an hour before calling it quits. Like the Torque, the Hydro Elite also boasts a Smart Sonic Receiver technology that promises outstanding audio quality even in the noisiest environments.

The Hydro Elite is not exactly tiny, measuring 4.82 x 2.38 x 0.43 inches and weighing in at 4.51 ounces. Other notable features include — let’s take a deep breath here — a 4.3-inch HD display, 4G LTE, an 8-megapixel HD cam, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel shooter, Qi wireless charging, NFC, MHL support, DLNA support, a microSD card slot and a 2,100 mAH battery. Phew. If that list of specs sounds scintillating enough to you, you may pick one up at your local Verizon store this Thursday for only $100 after a rebate and a two-year service agreement. For those who need a little more convincing, you can check out a Kyocera-commissioned video after the break starring none other than Man vs. Wild survivalist Bear Grylls.

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Source: Kyocera

If you didn’t get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we’ve opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a smartphone inspired by TopGear’s 2012 supercar of the year, leaks of a water-resistant handset for T-Mobile and an Android smartphone from LG that sells for under $100 outright. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that’s happening in the mobile world for this week of August 5th, 2013.

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We got our hands on the Kyocera Hydro Edge back in May (as well as the Hydro XTRM), with the word being at the time that it would be rolled out to the US market soon. Several weeks later, and both Boost Mobile and Sprint have announced the availability of the Hydro Edge, a waterproof handset aimed at those who want a budget handset with a bit of environment protection.

The Hydro Edge features a 4-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 800, as well as a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a 1600 mAh battery. Around back, users will find a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash with video recording capabilities. Connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.0, and the handset runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.

The handset was designed to be a bit “rugged,” and as such the display is impact-resistant in addition to the handset being waterproof. Overall, the specs aren’t anything that stands out among other offerings, but this does represent a waterproof handset in the budget range for those who need it, as well as being offered on a prepaid network.

On Boost Mobile, buyers will be able to use the device on the carrier’s contract-free Android Monthly Unlimited plan, which is, as the name suggests, a plan offering unlimited talk, text, and data. The device is currently available for pre-order, making it the first to be offered in such a manner by the carrier. Pricing is at $149.99, and will be available in retail stores in August.

The device will also be offered on Sprint via the Truly Unlimited plan, with a price of $19.99 with a two-year contract.

SOURCE: Boost Mobile

Kyocera Hydro Edge now available from Boost Mobile and Sprint is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Today Kyocera revealed two new smartphones will be coming to the US market soon, and just like their recent devices will be able to handle the elements quite well. With a successor to the original Hydro these new phones do a few things that Kyocera does best. That’s be budget friendly and waterproof at the

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