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Kyocera
Sprint on Monday announced the upcoming availability of the Kyocera Hydro Vibe, a waterproof smartphone with entry-level hardware. The nation’s third largest carrier is scheduled to offer the phone on May 9; the Virgin Mobile brand will sell a pre-paid version on May 27.
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The Hydro Vibe is a Spark-ready (tri-band 4G LTE) handset with a few additional bells and whistles. Powered by Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, the phone features a 4.5-inch qHD display and an 8-megapixel rear camera, and has 8GB of internal storage.
Under the hood you’ll also find a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 1.5GB RAM, NFC connectivity, and a 2,000mAh battery.
The Hydro Vibe differs from the standard entry-level smartphone, however, in that its both waterproof and impact-resistant. Designed to withstand life’s accidents, the handset boasts Kyocera’s Smart Sonic Receiver audio technology, which allows for better hearing in noisy conditions. What’s more, the smartphone allows for wireless charging, though this option will cost extra.
Sprint will offer the Hydro Vibe on its Easy Pay plan for $0 down and 24 monthly payments of $9.59, for a total of $230.16. Later this month, Virgin Mobile will sell the device for $149.99 without a contract.
