Sprint has revealed release details for the Kyocera Torque, an ultra-rugged Android smartphone which was announced late last month. The water-proof, dirt-proof, drop-proof handset will hit the Now Network on March 8 for $99.99 after $50 mail-in-rebate via reward card. To help promote the device, Sprint has enlisted the help of extreme adventurer Bear Grylls of Man vs Wild TV show fame.
“Bear Grylls is the ultimate survivor, in both his extreme adventures and the challenges he deals with day-to-day like the rest of us,” said Eric Anderson from Kyocera Communications. “Most of us know him as an intrepid adventurer, who has withstood the most extreme environments, but he’s also a businessman and a parent, and he appreciates the value of a smart, rugged device like Torque that can seamlessly support those different sides of his lifestyle.”
Marketed with the “live more, fear less” tagline and described as a handset built to survive the harshest of elements, the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Kyocera Torque features a 4-inch WVGA IPS LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage expandable via microSD card, Kyocera’s tissue-conductive Smart Sonic receiver, HD Voice, Sprint Direct Connect, 4G LTE, dual loudspeakers, a 5 megapixel rear camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 2500mAh battery. It all weighs 5.5 ounces and measures 0.56 inches thick.
As for the Torque’s rugged features, it’s built to Military Standard 810G (MilSpec) to withstand dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, humidity, blowing rain, low pressure, salt fog and extreme temperatures. It also meets IP67 standards for dust, sprayed water and full underwater immersion of up to one meter deep for up to 30 minutes.
Check out the new Kyocera Torque video advertisements featuring Bear Grylls below.
Water(park)-Proof, Dirt-Proof, Drop-Proof
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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 more than 82 million U.S. handsets that have already been destroyed by liquid.1
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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.
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Dropped 26 times from four 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 harder.
- 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 included 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.
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Solar radiation exposure of 1120 W/m2 for 24 hours – you might need sunscreen, but your phone doesn’t mind soaking up some rays.
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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.
Ultra-Rugged Specs
- Engineered to meet IP67 and Military Standard 810G (MilSpec) for protection against water jets and full water immersion for up to 30 minutes in up to one meter (3.28 feet), along with protection against dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, blowing rain, low pressure, solar radiation, salt fog and humidity
- The housing includes reinforced corners and is encased in a rubber, non-slip Dura-Grip material for a sure hold and extra durability
- Ruggedized, impact-resistant glass, IPS (In Plane Switching) capacitive touchscreen featuring a bright, high-contrast display when viewed naturally from all directions
Smart Sonic Receiver Technology
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.
Placing the phone in contact with the general area of the ear creates clear sound even in very noisy environments such as construction sites, sporting events, concerts and playgrounds. As an added benefit, removing the traditional speaker eliminates the need for a speaker cavity in the phone’s housing, enabling cleaner aesthetics and enhanced waterproofing capabilities.
Key Features
- Sprint 4G LTE
- Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich
- 4.0-inch WVGA LCD touchscreen
- Sprint Direct Connect – instant, one-to-one push-to-talk calling nationwide on the Sprint network with any other Direct Connect subscriber
- Dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
- Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities for mobile payment transactions
- Dual loudspeakers combined with award-winning Smart Sonic Receiver technology from
Kyocera enables users to hear conversations clearer than ever before, even in noisy
environments
- Dual cameras: 5MP rear-facing camera with camcorder capabilities and1.3MP front-facing camera; enhanced camera features include panorama, high dynamic range, facial recognition, smile/blink detection, macro and, burst mode
- 3G/4G LTE mobile hotspot capability supporting up to five Wi-Fi® enabled devices
simultaneously
- 2,500mAh battery augmented by Kyocera Eco Mode and MaxiMZR, which conserves
power by automatically blocking the background data connection for running nonessential
apps
- HD Voice enabled
- Bluetooth® 4.0 LE/EDR
- Wi-Fi b/g/n
Specifications
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Dimensions: 4.44 x 2.38 x 0.56 inches
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Weight: 5.5 ounces
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Display: 4.0-inch WVGA LCD 800 x 480 display
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Battery: 2,500mAh Lithium-Ion battery
- Memory: 1GB RAM; 4GB ROM; SD card up to 32GB (sold separately)
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