The
Samsung Transform Ultra and the
Kyocera DuraCore are both handsets that we are already familiar with. We also know that Sprint is the carrier the two devices are bound for. However, there is still one bit that we are missing from the equation, namely both of these smartphones' release dates.
Well, here comes a leak that sheds some light on the matter. According to these spy shots that just leaked on the web, the Samsung Transform Ultra and the Kyocera DuraCore are to be launched by Sprint on November 13, just in time for the holidays.
The Samsung Transform Ultra has been available on Boost mobile for some time now and it sells for $229 without commitment. But if signing a 2-year contract does not bother you, Sprint will be willing to sell you one for $80 after a $50 mail-in rebate. What you get for your money is an Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone featuring a 4-row slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen. A couple of cameras are also in stock – a 3-megapixel main one and a VGA front-facing shooter for video chats. Providing the processing power is a Qualcomm MSM8655 chipset clocket at 1GHz.
The Kyocera DuraCore may not have any bells and whistles to brag with, but it stands out with its rugged body and solid construction. It complies with military standards for dust, shock and vibration resistance, so it should be able to handle a lot more abuse than your ordinary handset. Another thing that makes the phone special is the support for Sprint's Direct Connect network, which allows for PTT services to be used over CDMA. You also get a 2-inch color display and a secondary external one for notifications, a 3.2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 1GB microSD card thrown in the set. As far as pricing goes, it is said that the Kyocera DuraCore will rerail for $70.
Of course, you should bear in mind that the November 13 release date for these two devices is not official yet, but it won't be long before we find out whether the leak holds water or not. Anyone thinking of getting one of them? Feel free to let us know by dropping a comment below.
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