Kyocera Communications announced its first Android phone, aiming at the mid-range of the market. The Kyocera Zio M6000 is equipped with a Qualcomm MSM7627 SoC and 3.5-inch WVGA display, plus WiFi, aGPS, Bluetooth 2.0, a 3.2-megapixel, video-ready camera, and up to six hours of talk time, says the company.

The Zio M6000 is Kyocera's first Android phone, as well as the first high-end smartphone it has offered in years. Back in 2001, the Japanese firm manufactured one of the first phones that might be considered a "smartphone," with its Palm-based Kyocera 6035.

A year later, the company introduced the world's first Linux-powered phone with its uniquely shaped Delta 2 (pictured at right). Since then, however, it has offered mostly lower-end handsets and wireless devices under the Kyocera brand, and since 2008, the Sanyo name.

As long ago as October 2008, Wind River said it was working with Kyocera to help develop an Android phone. Then last year, Kyocera formally announced it was developing an Android phone.

Kyocera Zio M6000
(Click to enlarge)

The Zio M6000 is equipped with a Qualcomm MSM7627 system-on-chip (SoC). This is the same processor used in the $50 Palm Pixi and low-end, Android-based Motorola Devour, so users should not expect Snapdragon-like multitasking performance. The phone is further equipped with 256MB or 512MB of RAM, but there is no word on the standard flash allotment. There is, however, an SD slot that can take up to 32GB cards, says the company.

The Zio's 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen offers surprisingly high WVGA (800 x 400) resolution. The display is accompanied by a trackball, accelerometers, ambient light sensor, digital compass, and a virtual keyboard, says Kyocera.

The phone offers both 3G CDMA2000 1xEV-DO rev. A and 802.11 b/g WiFi radios, as well as Bluetooth 2.0 and aGPS, says Kyocera. The Zio's 3.2-megapixel, autofocus camera is said to offer 24fps video recording and 30fps playback. Other features are said to include micro-USB 2.0, a 3.5mm stereo headset jack, and a speakerphone.

The handset measures 4.5 x 2.3 x 0.5 inches (116 x 58.6 x 12.2mm) and weighs 3.7 ounces (105 g), says Kyocera. The 1130 mAh battery provides up to six hours and 18 days of standby time, says the company.

The Zio furnishes the Android 1.6 ("Donut") release, and offers a media player, voice dialing, and a full HTML web browser. Pre-installed apps include Google Maps with Navigation, and widgets for Facebook, Twitter, and Open Table, says Kyocera. Android Market access is also part of the package.

Stated Eric Anderson, VP of sales at Kyocera, "Returning to the smartphone space with a compelling Android-based device makes Zio a milestone product for Kyocera."

Availability

The Kyocera Zio M6000 will be available in the second quarter, said Kyocera, which did not announce pricing or carriers. According to a story in Twice, however, representatives of prepaid carrier Leap Wireless told the publication it would offer the phone sometime this year.

The Zio will be the first Android smartphone offered in the U.S. with a prepaid plan, Leap was said to have told Twice. Other potential U.S. carriers that would be able to offer the phone include Verizon and Sprint, said the story.

More information on the Zio may be found here, and the Twice story should be here.

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