Kyocera Echo Has Arrived – Nation’s First Dual-Touchscreen Smartphone Available Now Exclusively at Sprint

Have you noticed a trend here on Mobility Digest? I have, and it seems the new theme is all about Windows Phone 7, pretty much every news item is all about WP7…  There’s not much love for anything else it seems, I need to start posting more Android stuff I think to make up for its lack of coverage. Anyway, today a unique new Android phone has officially landed on Sprint from Kyocera called the Echo. The Echo is a dual screen phone, it’s certainly different and I’ll reserve any judgments until I get one in my hands, if that ever happens that is.. The Echo has two 3.5” screens and will cost you $199.99 with a new 2yr agreement, read the rest of the PR for more info..

Featuring two high-resolution 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen displays connected by a durable, patent-pending Super Copper Alloy “pivot hinge,” Kyocera Echo allows users to use both displays independently, side-by-side or combined to form a tablet-like experience with 800 x 960 pixels in a 4.7-inch (diagonal) display. The device also folds up easily into a pocket-friendly single-screen configuration. A complete look at Echo’s unique features and functionality is available at www.sprint.com/echo.

“We’re a multitasking society, always looking for more information and easier ways to do things in our mobile lifestyles,” said Yasuhiro Ohishi, president at Kyocera Communications Inc. “We’ve heard tremendous feedback from people who’ve had the chance to experience the device, something we highly encourage consumers to do at any Sprint store. Because it’s so unique and a new experience for Android users, it’s helpful to experience it firsthand.

“The mobile and computer worlds often build on each other – we looked to ways in which consumers use their computers when developing Kyocera Echo since smartphones are essentially used as mini PCs every day. Drawing from these cues, Echo brings a new level of functionality to the Android smartphone.”

Kyocera Android Developer Program Expands

The Kyocera Android Developer Program, supporting development of dual-screen-compatible apps for Echo, continues to expand. Users can go to www.echobykyocera.com and find direct links to many of the growing universe of compatible apps. Several developers are planning to offer special promotions for their compatible applications, which will be featured on the site and highlighted at www.facebook.com/kyoceramobilephones.

Operating on the Android 2.2 operating system, Kyocera Echo gives users access to more than 150,000 apps in Android Market™. The device utilizes Sprint’s nationwide 3G network and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g); is Wi-Fi hotspot capable, supporting up to five devices; features a 5 megapixel camera with flash, autofocus and digital zoom plus 720 HD camcorder; supports corporate (Exchange ActiveSync^®) and personal (POP & IMAP) email, IM (Google Talk™), and text messaging; and has 1 GB of onboard memory with an 8GB microSD™ card for the external memory card slot, which supports cards up to 32GB.