Kyocera Rise comes to Sprint for $20, Virgin for $100
updated 08:59 pm EDT, Thu August 16, 2012
Entry-level, Android 4.0, packs sliding QWERTY keyboard
Kyocera has announced that its Rise Android 4.0 smartphone will be coming launching on Sprint's network on Sunday and on Virgin later this month. The Kyocera Rise will be available at the beginning of next week for $20 with the purchase or renewal of a monthly contract. The phone will be available on Virgin's pre-paid network beginning August 31 for a purchase price of $100. Kyocera is positioning the handset as an entry-level option for customers new to smartphones as well as parents looking to get an Android 4.0 phone for their teens.
The 3.5-inch touchscreen on the Rise is an HVGA capacitive display with a resolution of 480x320. The Swype Keyboard comes preloaded on the device, enabling users to enter text by dragging a finger between letters. Its 1,500mAh Lithium-ion battery provides more than 8.5 hours of talk time.
The Rise runs Android 4.0 and is capable of connecting to the Google Play store for apps. It has a 1GHz MSM8655 Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 3.2MP camera with LED flash and 30fps video recording, and is capable of supporting microSD cards up to 32GB.
Electronista went hands-on with the Rise back in May. We found that it had a solid build, with its slide-out QWERTY keyboard providing a comfortable typing experience with fewer errors due to ample spacing between keys. The screen, while modest, provides wide viewing angles due to its IPS technology, as well as decent brightness. While its 1GHz processor isn't the fastest on the market, it is capable enough to provide most users with a satisfactory Android experience.
