Sprint and Kyocera just released the world first dual screen Android – the Echo. The phone is manufactured by Kyocera and boasts two 3.5 inch touch screens for a combined screen size of 4.7 inch with a hinge in the middle.
The Echo will be available this spring for $199.99 with a two-year Sprint agreement (after a $100 mail-in rebate). One drawback for tech-savvy users, is that the phone will run on Sprint’s 3G network and not on the 4G WiMax spectrum, unlike the HTC Evo Shift and Evo 4G also available from Sprint but running on Sprint’s new faster 4G network.
The Echo will run on Android 2.2 – Froyo based on a 1-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 1 GB of RAM, and a 5-megapixel camera capable of 720p HD video capture. Wi-Fi hotspot capability will be available for support of up to five separate devices.
This dual screen Android boast multitasking functions by taking advantage of both screens. Users can drag applications from one screen to the other or just check emails on one screen while viewing a video on the other one. Unfortunately, it seems like the 1-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor is not strong enough to run smoothly on multitask mode, a dual core processor could have been more appropriate.
Furthermore, Sprint will offer the phone with an extra battery pack and cradle, nice attention from them, but that could also imply that you’ll probably need it.
Nonetheless, the Echo with its dual screen will freshen up Sprint’s already aging Android line-up, after all isn’t two screen better than one?
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