Tough On Your Smartphone? Sprint Offers A Solution With New Ultra-Rugged Kyocera Torque

Sprint and Kyocera announced the new Kyocera Torque ultra-rugged smartphone. This smartphone is Sprint's first ultra-rugged smartphone to offer 4G LTE connectivity. The Torque runs on Android and is designed to withstand dust, drops, vibration, solar radiation, humidity, blowing rain, low pressure, salt fog, and extreme temperatures. The phone can also withstand a dunk in water up to one meter for up to 30 minutes.

The Torque will also be the first handset in the US to feature Kyocera's Smart Sonic Receiver audio technology. This technology eliminates the need for a traditional speaker. Instead, vibrations are used to transmit sounds directly to the eardrum. This technology promises excellent sound quality and also makes it possible to hear what people are saying in very noisy environments. The Torque also features Sprint's Direct Connect push-to-talk service.

Additional key features of the Kyocera Torque include a MSM8960 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor, 4GB ROM, 1GB RAM, a microSD slot, a 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480) LCD IPS capacitive touchscreen with ruggedized, impact-resistant glass, NFC, and a 2,500mAh Lithium Ion battery. The Torque runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). You'll find a 5MP rear-facing camera and a 1.3MP front-facing camera on the phone.

“Anyone will quickly appreciate the durability of this smartphone, whether you work in rugged environments or just enjoy outdoor activities,” said David Owens, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. “It seems like everyone I talk to has damaged a phone by dropping it on a hard surface. This phone is for all those customers who want to make sure even if that happens, the phone will withstand the fall. This is an impressive Android device that can withstand extreme conditions while bringing our customers the speed of Sprint 4G LTE and convenience of instant push-to-talk communications from Sprint Direct Connect.”

Sprint plans to offer the Torque this spring. An exact availability date and price will be announced later this quarter.