Boost Mobile has revealed the waterproof Kyocera Hydro. It is the first waterproof Android-powered smartphone, and it doesn't even require a contract.
Boost Mobile has made strides as one of the largest wireless companies with a no-contract. The Kyocera Hydro is built to withstand three feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
The intention with the Hydro, according to Boost Mobile and Kyocera, is cracked screens and broken keypads are usually replaceable, however, water damage is not.
The Kyocera Hyrdo will be on sale starting Aug. 3 for $129.99 at Boost Mobile retailers.
The 3G smartphone will be available in select national retail locations by the end of August.
"With other water-soaked smartphones, consumers instantly move into MacGyver mode attempting to beat the odds with dry rice, Ziploc bags and other home remedies that rarely work," said Boost Mobile Vice President Andre Smith. "With the Kyocera Hydro, consumers can eliminate the panic of water damage and just enjoy their affordable Android-powered smartphone paired with Boost's award-winning no-contract service with payments that shrink over time."
"Kyocera Hydro offers a great value for a sleek, fully featured smartphone and being waterproof is really the icing on the cake," said Kyocera Communications Inc. Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Sales and Marketing Eric Anderson. "Wireless devices and water generally are not a good combination...but with Hydro you finally get the peace of mind to know that they can peacefully coexist."
Additional features of the Kyocera Hydro include an "Eco Mode" for better battery management, 3.5-inch touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.2MP camera with flash and video camera, and access to more than 600,000 Android Apps.
Early reviews on the Kyocera Hydro detail the phone is not the "next-level" S4 like the Galaxy S III or the HTC One X. The Kyocera Hydro is reported to have similarities from previous generation phones.
"In other words, you're not going to be playing high-powered games on this device and you're certainly not going to be playing any awesome streaming HD video here - but you will get some good battery time," said SlashGear.com's Chris Burns. "You'll probably not have to charge all day, and if you drop your device in the drink, the drink will not destroy the device."
In a report by BusinessWeek, more than 82.5 million mobile phones nationwide have been damaged by water or moisture.
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