Following the launch of the waterproof Kyocera Hydro Edge on Boost Mobile and Sprint as well as the Kyocera Hydro XTRM on U.S. Cellular, it appears that it's now time for Verizon to get in on the aquaphobic smartphone fun. Verizon Wireless today revealed that it will launch the Kyocera Hydro Elite in its web store on Aug. 29 for $99.99 with a two-year contract and $50 mail-in rebate.
As you might've guessed, one of the Hydro Elite's tentpole features is its waterproof design, which allows the device to be submerged in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. The Hydro Elite also sports a 4.3-inch HD display, 8-megapixel rear and 1.3-megapixel front cameras, NFC, microSD card slot, global roaming support, Eco Mode power management software and a 2,100mAh battery. In addition, Kyocera has included its Smart Sonic Receiver tech, a feature that transmits sounds as vibrations rather than relying on a traditional phone speaker.
Even though most consumers typically try to be pretty careful with their expensive phones, it can be tough to keep such a small and portable device away from liquids while going about your everyday life. That's where a device like the Hydro Elite comes in, giving owners a smartphone that can stand up to a little splishing and splashing while still packing a respectable feature set. To help pass the time until the Hydro Elite's arrival on Verizon's shelves, you can find more images of the device at the Kyocera link below.
Via Verizon Wireless, Kyocera: Hydro Elite
