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Kyocera Enters European Mobile Phone Market with Ultra-Rugged 4G LTE Smartphone

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO)(TOKYO:6971) a Japan-based global enterprise engaged in numerous high-tech fields, announced today the launch of the new TORQUE (KC-S701) — an ultra-rugged 4G LTE smartphone certified with the United States Military Standard (MIL-STD-810G) in 11 categories.

Marking the company’s entrance in the European mobile phone market, the new model is the latest in Kyocera’s global rugged smartphone series and builds on Kyocera’s strength and reputation for ruggedized, waterproof handsets that meet the real-world needs of users. The new TORQUE will be available this spring starting in Germany and France and can be purchased SIM-free by enterprise users and consumers.

The TORQUE smartphone possesses high durability against water immersion, dust, shock, salt fog and humidity among its Military Standard 810G profiles. Ideal for use in challenging settings, the phone’s touchscreen can be operated when wet or with non-specialized gloves and the handset features Kyocera’s proprietary, award-winning Smart Sonic Receiver for improved audio even in the loudest environments — making this device ideal for enterprise customers that have employees working in tough outdoor environments and extreme work conditions. It is ideally suited to big and small companies including construction, utilities, transportation, healthcare, public safety and more. Built-in security and encryption keeps users’ most sensitive documents protected, and TORQUE supports virtually all the main MDM solutions available on the market. The rugged TORQUE is also a great option for individual users who enjoy outdoor sports, lead active lives, or are just tired of worrying about damaging a fragile smartphone in any of life’s many minor mishaps.

“Kyocera is committed to building high-quality devices that stand up to real-world scenarios and that allow our customers to be productive at work and on-the-go anywhere, no matter the external environment or harsh conditions they have to face,” said Takashi Nohara, General Manager of Kyocera’s Communications Equipment Sales Group. “We believe durability is a value for all business people.”

The TORQUE comes equipped with the award-winning Smart Sonic Receiver technology which uses both sound and vibrations to transmit voice, allowing users to hear better even in noisy environments such as construction sites, noisy streets, train stations and more. This proprietary feature from Kyocera provides clear sound by replacing the traditional speaker with a technology that utilizes the phone’s whole display to transmit sound through vibrations on the glass panel. The handset also has two high-volume (>100db) speakers at the base of the unit to allow hands-free calling and two push-to-talk (PTT) apps come pre-installed (collaboration with Voxer and Zello). The handset also supports Qi wireless battery charging (charging base sold separately).

Ruggedized feature Test conditions

Waterproof:

Sprayed or immersed in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. Rated to IPX5 / IPX8.
Dustproof: Exposure to powder dust for six hours straight (8.9± 1.3m/sec., 10.6± 7g/m3). Rated to IP6X.
Shock: Dropped at 26 angles from 1.22-meter height onto plywood.
Vibration: Horizontal, vertical and sideways vibrations for one hour (20-2,000Hz).
Solar Radiation: Exposure of 1,120W/m2 for 24 hours straight.
Humidity: 95% humidity for 8 hours a day for 10 consecutive days; 45% humidity for 16 hours a day for 10 consecutive days.
Extreme Temperatures: -21° to 50°C for an operating unit for three hours.

-30° to 60°C for a non-operating unit for four hours.

Low Pressure: 57.11kPa/4,572 meters (altitude) for two hours.
Salt Fog: Exposure for a complete 48 hour cycle; this cycle included 24 hours exposure to salt fog followed by 24 hours drying time.

Shockproof to handle unexpected drops by users, the smartphone’s design incorporates urethane parts that provide impact- and shock-resistance while also allowing for a solid grip.

The handset also recognizes the difference between bare and gloved fingers. Glove and Wet Touchscreen Operation Technology allows users to talk, text, open and operate apps while wearing non-specialized gloves and even when the screen is wet. A special widget offers popular settings and apps and is uniquely designed with large icons for easy navigation with gloved hands and with high contrast for bright environments outdoors.

TORQUE is waterproof, meaning that it is ready for work in wet environments such as around standing water, hoses, sprinklers, sinks and in dirty places where the phone may need to be rinsed. Kyocera has launched over 50 waterproof mobile phones in Japan and North America since 2008; and since launching its first ruggedized phone in the U.S. in 2010, Kyocera has continued to develop technology to enhance mobile phone durability and has become the leading rugged-device manufacturer in that market.

Kyocera has positioned itself as a leader in the ruggedized smartphone segment in Japan and North America, and now aims to bring these advantages to users in Europe with primary product launches in Germany and France.

TORQUE (KC-S701) Specifications

Size (HxWxD): 136 x 68 x 13.5mm
Weight: 182g
Talk Time: 4G LTE/3G/Edge: Up to 27 hours – GSM: Up to 17 hours
Standby Time: 3G/Edge: Up to 1,000 hours; GSM: Up to 950 hours; 4G LTE/3G/Edge: Up to 810 hours
Battery Type: 3100mAh Lithium ion (Li-ion); Non-removable; Wireless Charging (Qi-enabled)
Display: 4.5”, HD (1280 x 720); Wet/Glove-Touch Functionality
Camera / Video: 8MP camera with video, digital zoom, LED flash and auto-focus. 2MP front-facing camera for video calling
Operating System: Android™ 4.4 (Kit Kat)
Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ MSM8928 Quad-core 1.4 GHz processor
SIM Card Type: nano SIM
SAR: Head 0.556w/kg Body 0.537w/kg

Kyocera will be present at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain from March 2-5. Attendees are invited to visit the Kyocera booth (Hall 5, 5D09) to experience the company’s new handsets and technology.

The TORQUE will also be exhibited at CeBIT in Hannover, Germany from March 16-20. Attendees can see the TORQUE in action at Kyocera Document Solutions’ booth (Hall 3, B20).