Kyocera Hydro Vibe Waterproof Android Phone Launched via Sprint, Virgin Mobile

Kyocera is one of the popular Android Smartphone manufacturing OEM’s that build rugged and waterproof Smartphones, targeting the active section of Smartphone users out there. Their earlier Android Smartphone models such as the Kyocera Torque have gained widespread popularity for its ruggedness properties.

Kyocera just announced their latest Android Smartphone, the “Hydro Vibe”, which will reach the United States through Sprint, the third largest network carrier provider in the US. The Kyocera Hydro Vibe may not surprise the specs-savvy tech geeks, as it features just entry-level hardware specifications. To begin with, the Kyocera Hydro Vibe features a 1.2 GHz quad core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1.5 GB of RAM, 4.5 inch display with a screen resolution of 540×960 pixels, which brings the pixel count to about 245 PPI.

The Smartphone features a 8 megapixel primary camera with Autofocus and LED flash, that allows you to record 1080p Full-HD videos at 30 frames/second. Other software enhancements for the camera includes HDR mode and Panorama mode. It also features a 2 megapixel secondary camera that will be sufficient for video calls, and yeah, taking selfies too! The internal storage facility of the Kyocera Hydro Vibe features 8 GB of total storage, which can be expanded up to 32 GB via a MicroSD card.

The Smartphone features a 2000 mAh battery, out of which the company claims that you can get 14 hours of talk time and up to 8 days of standby time. Other goodies that you get in the Smartphone include NFC, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0, WIFI and sensors like Accelerometer and a Compass. There’s something new from Kyocera in the Hydro Vibe, called as Smart Sonic Receiver audio technology which would ensure that the sound reaches your ear in a noisy condition, and this is done with some vibrations sent to the eardrums.

“The demand for waterproof smartphones has only increased since Kyocera introduced the original Hydro in the U.S. in 2012 … Hydro Vibe is the third generation of waterproof Kyocera devices Sprint has brought to our prepaid and postpaid customers. Vibe eliminates the worries of liquid damage during a day at the beach or a day on the job without having to invest in a waterproof case or sacrificing the sleek style and functionality we expect from smartphones,” said David Owens, Sprint’s senior vice president for product.

Having said all this, the actual waterproofing is not such that you can just jump into a pool totally deep, because the maximum it can resist is a depth of 3.28 feet of water for 30 minutes.

Pricing and Availability of Kyocera Hydro Vibe

As stated earlier, the Kyocera Hydro Vibe will be available through Sprint for US customers, and the pricing starts at $0 for the “Easy Pay” plan, and will cost you $9.59 per month for 2 years, taking the total worth of the Smartphone up to $230.16. Virgin Mobile has also come forward to offer the Kyocera Hydro Vibe Android Smartphone off-contract, at a price of $149.99.

Through the Sprint network, you would be able to purchase the phone from May 9th, while through the Virgin Mobile, it would be available from May 27th.