Where you at? Sprint Direct Connect Now brings push-to-talk to select Android devices

Posted on 24/10/2012 by Mark Hearn

Sprint announced on Wednesday the availability of its new Direct Connect Now Android app, which brings push-to-talk capabilities to the Kyocera Rise and LG Optimus Elite with support for other devices "coming soon." Compatible with both Nextel and Sprint Direct Connect devices, this free app features group calls for up to 21 people, touchscreen controls, call alert notifications and contact synchronization. While we appreciate this advancement in push-to-talk communication, we can't help but shed a tear reminiscing about the good old days of Boost Mobile's "where you at?" campaign. Please join us as we pour one out and celebrate faded memories of the chirp.

Continue reading Where you at? Sprint Direct Connect Now brings push-to-talk to select Android devices

Filed under: Mobile, Sprint

Where you at? Sprint Direct Connect Now brings push-to-talk to select Android devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera Rise arrives on Virgin Mobile with ICS, 3.5-inch display and slide-out QWERTY keys

Posted on 31/08/2012 by Edgar Alvarez

Just as we'd heard, today's the day that budget-minded (and not-so-shy) Kyocera Rise hits the Virgin Mobile USA shelves. Available now for a mere $100 -- without any contracts, of course -- this 3.5-inch, Ice Cream Sandwich device boasts some pretty run-of-the-mill features, including an HVGA, 480 x 320 LCD, a single-core, 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 2GB of built-in storage which can be expanded to 32GB via microSD and, as you can see above, a full-on, slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Naturally, Virgin Mobile's betting on folks to bundle the cheap handset with one of its unlimited data plans -- not to mention Kyocera's handset is yet another addition to the prepaid carrier's rising smartphone lineup. Those interested can give the Rise a better look down below, where a nice gallery filled with charming press shots awaits.

Gallery: Kyocera Rise for Virgin Mobile press shots

Continue reading Kyocera Rise arrives on Virgin Mobile with ICS, 3.5-inch display and slide-out QWERTY keys

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Kyocera Rise arrives on Virgin Mobile with ICS, 3.5-inch display and slide-out QWERTY keys originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera Rise coming to Sprint August 19th for $20, Virgin Mobile to follow on August 31st for $100

Posted on 15/08/2012 by Brad Molen

Kyocera announced the QWERTY-packing Rise at this year's CTIA without mention of any carrier support. Regardless, we had a feeling it would eventually end up on Sprint, given the lengthy partnership the two companies have enjoyed -- not to mention a few leaks. Indeed, we got official word this morning that the Kyocera Rise will be available on Sprint August 19th for $20 (after a $50 mail-in rebate and two-year commitment), with Virgin Mobile following up with a prepaid version on August 31st. The non-contract price? $100. That thirty-dollar difference makes for an incredibly tough sell when a contract is attached. For the forgetful Freds out there, the Rise features Android 4.0, a 3.5-inch HVGA display, 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 Snapdragon S2 processor, a 3.2MP camera and a 1,500mAh battery that claims 8.5 hours of talk time. Check out more details in the press release after the break.

Continue reading Kyocera Rise coming to Sprint August 19th for $20, Virgin Mobile to follow on August 31st for $100

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Kyocera Rise coming to Sprint August 19th for $20, Virgin Mobile to follow on August 31st for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera Rise linked to Sprint and Virgin Mobile in leak, clue vanishes in a hot minute

Posted on 23/07/2012 by Jon Fingas

Kyocera has already committed to launching the Hydro with Boost Mobile next month, but the Rise is still the bridesmaid, and not a bride -- at least, not until a blink-and-you'll-miss-it leak that emerged this weekend. A Twitter update by EV leaks has the Android 4.0 QWERTY slider attached to Sprint and Virgin Mobile, with a press photo of the Sprint version as evidence. Unfortunately, that's about all we'll get to see in the near future: the post and the whole account ceased to exist not long after they first appeared, which makes permanent proof a little hard to come by other than through an Unwired View recap. Still, we already know the Rise is destined for CDMA providers in the US, and Sprint's longstanding partnership with Kyocera makes the Rise an obvious candidate as the carrier's next on-the-cheap messaging device -- the image may just give our hunches some meaning.

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Kyocera Rise linked to Sprint and Virgin Mobile in leak, clue vanishes in a hot minute originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 02:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC Fridays: June 8, 2012

Posted on 09/06/2012 by Brad Molen

FCC Fridays June 8, 2012

We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we've gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week. Enjoy!

Continue reading FCC Fridays: June 8, 2012

FCC Fridays: June 8, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 21:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera Rise ascends to heights of FCC acceptance

Posted on 06/06/2012 by Brad Molen

Kyocera and the FCC have become buddies lately. A couple weeks ago the waterproof Hydro got the go-ahead for United States use, and today we witnessed its brother, the QWERTY slider known as the Rise, make it through the government's hallowed halls. While it doesn't give us any information as to the phone's destination or any additional specs, we at least know it's one step closer to possibly getting some play time on a CDMA carrier's shelves. As a refresher, the Rise (also known as the C5155) features a Qualcomm MSM8655 SoC with a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 IPS LCD panel, a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1,500 mAh battery. Oh, and a lightly-skinned version of Android 4.0. Hopefully we'll see this show up on a prepaid lineup near you sometime this summer, but we'll keep you posted as we hear more.

Kyocera Rise ascends to heights of FCC acceptance originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on with Kyocera Rise, an Android 4.0 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard (video)

Posted on 08/05/2012 by Zachary Lutz

Kyocera is looking to regain a foothold in the US smartphone market, and curiously enough, it's doing so by catering to niche audiences. First we saw the Hydro, a waterproof handset, and alongside it is the Rise, which features a sliding QWERTY keyboard. Both phones are built for CDMA networks, although Kyocera has yet to announce carrier availability for either.

Spec-wise, the Rise is very similar to the Hydro, and this extends to the OS. In our brief time with the phone, we were treated to a largely vanilla interpretation of Ice Cream Sandwich, which makes the Rise a bit of a rare breed in the QWERTY world -- hopefully its future carrier doesn't dictate huge alterations. The phone features a Qualcomm MSM8655 SoC with a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 IPS LCD display, a 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1,500 mAh battery. When compared to other QWERTY sliders, the handset itself is rather compact and fit nicely in our hand. We were similarly quite fond of the sliding mechanism on the Rise, which felt natural and provided just enough resistance. The four-row keyboard is altogether forgettable, but it should serve those who insist upon physical keys just fine. Our biggest gripe about the Rise, however, is its low-res display, which seems like quite a misstep -- even for a budget device.

In terms of storage, you'll find 512MB of RAM, 2GB built-in and a 2GB microSD card. The Rise also features 802.11n (WiFi), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and EV-DO Rev. A. It's safe to say that Kyocera is targeting budget audiences with the Rise, but the strategy may work to its advantage if other carriers fail to keep their QWERTY sliders up-to-date with the latest version of Android. You'll find our hands-on video after the break.

Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report

Gallery: Kyocera Rise hands-on