Boost Mobile officially released the Kyocera Hydro Icon today. This low-cost, prepaid Android smartphone has LTE and passes 810G specifications for drop and shock resistance. It’s also IP57 certified for water and dust resistance. It’s about what you would expect from an Android phone on Boost Mobile. It will sell a few units just because it’s rugged, though.
The Hydro Icon has a 4.5-inch display with a lowly qHD resolution. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and it has built-in PMA wireless charging. That’s the same wireless charging standard that Starbucks is building into the tables at their retail locations. Other specs include NFC, a 2,000 mAh battery, and 8GB of storage with support for up to an additional 32GB with its microSD card slot. The Hydro Icon is running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which is a bit disappointing. At the end of the day, though, you can’t expect too much from a smartphone that only costs $149.99.
Kyocera is positioning this phone to the prepaid market. That’s why they’re releasing it on Boost Mobile. If it’s well built and runs smoothly, it could give Boost customers another low-cost option besides the Motorola Moto G. The Moto G is $50 cheaper, but it isn’t ruggedized like the Hydro Icon is. Kyocera sells a ton of phones worldwide, but they’ve never been able to get a strong foothold on the US market.
The Hydro Icon may be the perfect phone for your kids if they’re involved in outdoor summer activities, or if they’re just rough on a phone. It’s not just for your kids, though. Anyone who is active outside or works in a rough environment could be a good fit for one. The 810G rating is military standard durability, and the IP57 water-resistant means it can take a dive into 3 feet of water for up to half an hour. Not too shabby for $150.
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