Call us what you will, but we couldn’t resist taking a quick look at the Kyocera DuraMax, which (along with the DuraCore) represents the first of Sprint’s handsets to support Direct Connect for CDMA. It’s no smartphone, for sure, but we were intrigued by its certification for the military’s 810G standard, which promises resistance to dust, shock, vibration, water, low pressure, extreme temperatures and solar radiation — among other nasty elements.
From the outset, the phone appears stout and bulky. It measures a full one-inch thick, although it seems like even more. Perhaps this is due to the grooved rubber finish, or maybe it’s the clamshell shape, but you’ll want a holster for this one, as the protrusion in your pocket would be hard to ignore. So just who is this device for? We’d like to imagine it’s targeted at the kids who played with Tonka trucks as kids, who now drive bulldozers and pour hot tar on roofs. Yes, this phone is designed to take some punishment, which is undoubtedly its greatest strength. After carefully inspecting each angle, peeking underneath the battery cover and testing the “walkie talkie” feature — which seems to work beautifully — we began dishing out some seriously bad behavior. Check out the video after the break to see just what we mean.
Continue reading Kyocera DuraMax for Sprint hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)
Kyocera DuraMax for Sprint hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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All of the hullabaloo about Sprint’s new CDMA-based
Direct Connect service was not for naught, as the Now Network has finally confirmed that it will indeed be launching in a limited number of markets this upcoming Sunday, with broader expansion coming in early 2012. To get things started, however, the network ought to have a phone or two that have the tech built in, right? The
Kyocera Duramax will receive the honor of being the very first phone to work with the new plans and will be a certified 810G military-standard clamshell handset with a 3.2MP camera, stereo Bluetooth, a 2.5mm headphone jack (not a typo) and a Dura-Grip rubber casing. What about the Kyocera Duracore and the
Motorola Admiral? They’re still forthcoming, but Sprint only mentions that both devices are coming out before the end of the year. The sooner the better here, because the lack of options can’t possibly be a selling point for the brand new service. The nitty-gritty details are in the presser after the break.
Continue reading Kyocera Duramax ready to kickoff Sprint’s Direct Connect service on October 2nd for $70
Kyocera Duramax ready to kickoff Sprint’s Direct Connect service on October 2nd for $70 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Is there still any lingering doubt that something big’s getting cooked up in Overland Park in time for October 2nd? We’ve already seen leaked screenshots showing that Sprint’s aiming to launch its CDMA-based
Direct Connect service that day, as well as a Sprint-backed vid of
the Motorola Admiral, the first smartphone to sport the new feature. Courtesy of
SprintFeed, another gem has been unearthed: the
Direct Connect-compatible Kyocera Duramax. Said to start at $100 with a two-year agreement, the rugged clamshell bears a great deal of resemblance to a large number of legacy iDEN handsets. It’s nothing to write home about, but it still sports the proper military specs to keep it protected, as well as a 3 megapixel camera and a non-slip surface. Anyone who isn’t looking for a smartphone but is in need of a Direct Connect device will want to keep a close eye on this one as we get closer to the day of destiny. Oh, and Sprint? The cat’s out of the bag — perhaps it’s time to make it real.
Kyocera Duramax is in the batter’s box, launching with Sprint Direct Connect October 2nd originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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