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Kyocera Torque Becomes First Rugged LTE Smartphone, Headed for Sprint

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The Kyocera Torque is a rare breed as it’s both a ruggedized Android smartphone and one that packs 4G LTE network connectivity on Sprint’s U.S. network. Though Sprint has announced the Torque will be coming to its network this Spring, pricing and specific availability is still not known about the device at this time. The device is  Mil-Spec 810G rated.

The Torque features a 4-inch WVGA resolution touchscreen display, impact-resistant glass, dual-core Snapdragon processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, 4G ROM, 1 GB RAM, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, and a micro SD card slot that can accommodate cards up to 32 GB capacities. Given the lower resolution WVGA display by today’s standards, the Torque should be more affordably priced for those who demand a smartphone to fit their more rugged work environments or lifestyle. Additionally, for companies looking to deploy a fleet of Torques, Sprint is saying the Torque will also be able to access Sprint’s Direct Connect push-to-talk network.

images-1Aside from the ruggedized construction of the phone, the Torque also boasts Smart Sonic Receiver Technology, which uses ceramics and sonic waves to transmit sounds, eliminating the need for traditional speakers. This allows the Torque to be used in loud environments–like at a concert or construction site. This technology was shown last Spring in a concept phone.

Torque is the first U.S. device to feature Kyocera’s proprietary Smart Sonic Receiver technology, which eliminates the need for a traditional speaker in a handset, instead using vibrations to transmit sounds directly to the eardrum with unparalleled sound quality. Building on Kyocera’s 53-year heritage in advanced ceramics, the new technology uses a Kyocera ceramic actuator to turn sounds into vibrations. It uses twin paths to transmit those sounds to the user: traditional sound waves and vibrations that are carried by body tissue directly to the eardrum and inner ear.

And here are some of the ways that the Torque can handle rugged environments:

  • Waterproof whether sprayed or immersed in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes, Torque can handle all the rain, sprinklers, hoses, spit, drool, drinks, sinks or toilet water life can throw at it – that’s more than can be said of the around 82 million handsets in the U.S. that have already been destroyed by liquid.1
  • Extreme Temperatures of -22° to 140°F (-30° to 60°C) for a non-operating unit for two hours and -4° to 122°F (-20° to 50°C) for an operating unit for three hours – from backcountry snowboard trips to hikes in Death Valley, don’t sweat it.
  • Dropped 26 times from 4 feet high – or, the average week with kids at the playground.
  • Heavy dust for six hours – going off the grid while off-roading and camping will never be an issue.
  • Horizontal, vertical and sideways vibrations for one hour – that mountain bike ride or roller coaster will be no match for Torque.
  • Exposure to salt fog, for a complete 48 hour cycle; this cycle includes 24 hours exposure to salt fog followed by 24 hours drying time  – ideal for surfers, beach lovers or those who left their hearts and phones in San Francisco.
  • 95 percent humidity for 10 days straight – the phone can handle it, but its owners may not.
  • Solar radiation exposure of 1120 W/m2 for 24 hours – you might need sunscreen, but your phone doesn’t mind soaking up some rays.
  • Low pressure at 57.11 kPa/15,000 feet (4,572 meters) for two hours – higher than the tallest mountain peak in the lower 48 U.S. states.

 

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Jox

    08/22/2013 at 12:50 am

    A great successor to my Motorola Defy+.
    But I’m European, so I have bad luck the Torqu is only for U.S. Sprint.
    So I will wait, because a will not buy a “tablet” like the S4 or SE-Z.

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