Kyocera has announced that both T-Mobile and MetroPCS will launch yet another quasi-rugged and water-resistant midrange Android smartphone in the Hydro Life. The Hydro Life features mil-spec 810G certification for protection against drops from heights and shock resistance, as well as IP57 certification for protection against dust and water damage with resistance to submersion in up to 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
The phone also has an impact-resistant 4.5-inch qHD resolution display with a claimed non-slip finish. The Hydro Life is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor with 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage while including a 5-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel front facing camera along with a microSD slot. The Hydro Life also features Kyocera’s Smart Sonic receiver for improved phone call audio, as well as Kyocera’s EcoMode and MaxiMZR tools for managing the 2,000mAh battery. The phone also features support for T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi calling service as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network with no LTE access. The version of Android for the phone is also undetermined, as the splash page for the phone advertises 4.4 KitKat while the spec sheet lists Android Jelly Bean 4.3.
The phone will be available first for T-Mobile through selected Walmart locations for $124.99 beginning on August 8th with qualifying service, while MetroPCS will launch the phone at the end of the month on August 29th with no pricing information immediately available for that model.
PhoneScoop.com is reporting that this phone will NOT have LTE, just GSM and WCDMA (i.e. HSPA+).