Kyocero Echo, Sprint’s Dual Screen Smartphone Announced
The just-announced Kyocera Echo on Sprint is a first of its kind: a dual touchscreen, Android-powered smartphone. Sprint announced that they would be releasing an industy first and this is just what they have delivered.
The Echo features two 3.5 inch 480 x 800 displays that have the ability to be combined into one screen, which displays as a single 4.7 inch 960 x 800 touchscreen surface. This new smartphone is an interesting proposition that has plenty of possibilities if implemented properly.
As you can see the Echo can be operated by using just the front display or expanded to display both. They are connected by a sliding liquid-metal hinge that Kyocera has patented. You can also have one screen folded up in a laptop-like configuration depending on what you are trying to accomplish. The phone is powered by a 1 GHz second-generation Snapdragon CPU running Android OS 2.2 (Froyo). Due the the amount of work they put into making the phone able to run core apps on each screen independently, the OS version is understandable.
The phone is not the most attractive device out there and is only available on 3G. However the software is fully baked and runs smoothly with both screens in action. Certain apps are available for simultaneous use on each screen. Currently third party apps only run in full screen mode. The Echo is a nice phone and will definitely have a place in the market, we will know more once review units are given out. Tell us what you think about the dual screen phone in the comment section below.
Hardware
- Dual 3.5 inch LCD WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) capacitive touchscreens (4.7 inches diagonally and 800 x 960 pixels when opened)
- Android 2.2 — Froyo
- 1 GHz Snapdragon QSD 8650
- 5 megapixel camera with flash
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- Wi-Fi
- EVDO Rev. A
- 115.0 x 56.5 x 17.2mm
- 193 grams (6.8 oz.)
Hands-On
Source: Engadget, Laptop Magazine
Category: Phones
Specs seem to be decent, but I don’t know. I was expecting a lot bigger of a product release. 3D or crazy tablet. Kind of disappointing. It’s still kind of cool. And reminds me a little of the Nintendo DS. Oh Droid Life keeps referring to this phone as a Flippity Do, cracks me up every time I see them write that. LOL!!
ahaha and I was expecting more than this as well, would you ever consider this form factor?
This might be a good toy, I just can't see this turning out to be the next phone that everyone would want. No wonder why they only had the one advertisement about this phone way back and we didn't hear anything about it since.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Asher Chua Yee Liang and Axotla, Android Headlines. Android Headlines said: Kyocero Echo, Sprint’s Dual Screen Smartphone Announced http://goo.gl/fb/kIb72 #android [...]
Specs seem to be decent, but I don't know. I was expecting a lot bigger of a product release. 3D or crazy tablet. Kind of disappointing. It's still kind of cool. And reminds me a little of the Nintendo DS. Oh Droid Life keeps referring to this phone as a Flippity Do, cracks me up every time I see them write that. LOL!!
I'm disappointed. I guess i just expected more, or at least multiple phones being introduced.
Well form feedback from readers on twitter they were very disappointed with this event and look at the echo as a bust/fail.
Honestly i think this is one of those concept phones that made it to market and it may very well not be all that but kuddos for trying to be different and doing it on android.From reports i have read i do think they are trying to reinvent the wheel or anything just offer a different style device.Personally their is not alot of about this phone i really like but i do like the fact they tried to be different even if it was a fail.
Hing just looks fragile to me. But seems like an interesting piece of technology though nonetheless! Innovation is always good!
[...] was on the spotlight for its dual-touchscreen handset which looks like a hand-held gaming device. But now, there is a new handset on the block from [...]
[...] Sprint showed the dual screen Kyocera Echo at their event on February 5th it was met with a range of critiques from fascination to outright skepticism. [...]