KYOCERA Enters European Mobile Phone Market with Launch of New Ultra-Rugged 4G LTE Smartphone "TORQUE"

KYOTO, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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^*1. 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^*2 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/m^3). 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/m^2 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^*3 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*^4 - GSM: Up to 17 hours*^4
Standby Time:	3G/Edge: Up to 1,000 hours*^4; GSM: Up to 950 hours*^4; 4G LTE/3G/Edge: Up to 810 hours*^4
Battery Type:	3100mAh Lithium ion (Li-ion); Non-removable; Wireless Charging (Qi-enabled)
Display:	4.5”, HD (1280 x 720); Wet/Glove-Touch Functionality*^5
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).

For further information about Kyocera please visit:
http://www.kyoceramobilephone.com/en/s701/
Download images of TORQUE (KC-S701) by visiting:
http://www.kyoceramobilephone.com/press/partner/download.html

^*1 Rated for MIL-STD-810G in the following 11 categories: Dust, Shock, Vibration, High temperature, Low temperature, Blowing rain, Low pressure, Solar radiation, Salt fog, Humidity, Immersion. The product passed the test conditions for the above categories; full operation cannot be guaranteed under actual conditions. Furthermore, there is no guarantee against damage. Please note that ruggedized features are designed to protect against impact shock encountered in daily life, and may not protect against damage if purposely thrown or subject to abnormal impacts. Even if the phone’s features remain unaffected, cosmetic damage may occur after dropping.
^*2 Certified for IP68: Protection against dust and water immersion for up to 30 minutes in up to 1.5 meters. Phone will not operate under water and should be dried as quickly as possible when wet. To ensure that the phone is waterproof, make sure the charger/data port, audio jack and card slot covers are properly sealed, with no foreign objects obstructing the seals.
IP6X rating: The unit is protected to a point where test dust (a diameter of 75μm or less) will not enter the unit even if the unit is churned for 8 hours inside a dust resistance testing tube.
^*3 Recognizes touch input while wearing gloves up to 3mm thick. The material, texture and thickness of the glove, as well as how it fits the hand will impact performance. Individual results may vary.
*⁴ Times will vary based on user settings, feature use, and network configuration.
Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Android is trademark of Google, Inc. The “Qi” symbol is a trademark of the Wireless Power Consortium. “Smart Sonic” is a registered trademark of KYOCERA in Europe. All other company names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

For further information about Voxer please visit: http://www.voxer.com/
For further information about Zello please visit: http://zello.com/

About KYOCERA

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO)(TOKYO:6971) (http://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of electronic components, printers, copiers, solar power generating systems, mobile phones, semiconductor packages, cutting tools and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2014, the company’s net sales totaled 1.45 trillion yen (approx. USD14.1 billion). The company appears on the latest “Top 100 Global Innovators” list by Thomson Reuters, and is ranked #531 on Forbes magazine’s current “Global 2000” listing of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.