In a competitive Android market you need something that will catch the consumers eyes, Sprint has done just that with the Dual fold out screen called the Kyocera Echo. The $199 (with a 2 year contract) not a bad price for a dual screen phone, Kyocera Echo deserves credit for pushing the envelope with it’s dual screen, the only problem is will consumers have a problem with it’s bulky design?
If you like to multi-task as I do then this phone is for you,This 3.5 dual bright screens and sharp images allows you to have two different programs running at the same time, you can be on Facebook on one screen and checking your e-mail on the other. You can also create a smaller version of a tablet when the entire application is on both screens, The phone didn’t have a problem responding to my touch when it was on single screen setting but I did have a problem performing a sliding motion in its dual screen setting.
Opening the Echo you have to pull the right side of the screen up and push it to the right (I know sounds a little complicated), It did take me a while to figure out how to open and close the phone. You can choose to have the top screen on a 45 degree angle or having both screens leveled and snapped it to place.
A good amount of apps that are programed so the menu navigation content is on one screen and content on another. I had a lot of fun playing Sims 3, my character would be on the top screen and my control button’s on the bottom screen, when using the You Tube app, the video was on the top screen and the on the second screen was showing a play list, You can also have one video on one screen and another video on the second screen. Using a map on the dual screen was great, It gave me a 4.7 viewing.
I was very impressed with the e-mail in dual screen, it allowed me to view an open message while viewing my inbox messages.
Echo has Sprints Hot-Spot capability, all thought it doesn’t have Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network, the Hot-Spot allows you to give of a WiFi signal to two other devices. I had no problem getting a signal for my Nook Color and Nintendo 3D, and was pretty impressed with the speed.
While using this phone in Starbucks I didn’t get a lot of stares when using the phone in single mode, but as soon as I open it to use both screens I got a lot of stares and questions about the phone.
Even though the Sprint Kyocera Echo is a bit bulky, there is no other phone out that turns into a mini tablet, that can fit in one hand. I wouldn’t replace a regular tablet for this phone just yet but it’s a good alternative.
Physical Design:
Physically the Echo is a bit thick at 4.5 by 2.2 by .67 inches, and a chunky 6.8 ounces, 3.5-inch 800-by-480 screen, which is a bit thicker on the right side than on the left. When in tablet mode a 4.7-inch, 800-by-960 screen.
Battery Life:
When in Dual-screen mode the phone worked for two and a half hours before having to charge it. When in single mode I would say about seven hours of use. Let’s just thank Kyocera for including a second battery, which comes with a separate battery charger.
Android:
Echo is running Android 2.2
Camera:
5-megapixel rear facing shows bright colors. Video 720p.
