The Android OS acceptance for smartphones’ platform seems to be rapidly increasing. During the CTIA Enterprise & Applications trade show, Sprint along with Kyocera announced the release of a new handset running on Android 2.1 and featuring Sprint ID, the Sanyo Zio. The Sprint ID has also been rolled out with this launch.
For a predefined experience, users can download ID packs which include applications, widgets, ringtones and wallpapers in English or Spanish language using the Sprint ID. Fitted with a 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen, the Zio smartphone boasts of a 3.2MP camera with 30fps video record and playback for clear cut imagery. In order to provide easy typing and navigation, it flaunts various keyboard options and a simple-to-use trackball.
“With Sprint ID, Zio introduces a new level of personalization that allows users to completely customize their devices to match their hobbies, interests or personalities. Each ID offers a variety of unique apps, widgets, wallpapers and ringtones and gives users the opportunity to customize their devices,†quoted Fared Adib, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. “Pairing Sprint ID with Zio, a robust and easy-to-use Android 2.1 device, offers a rich multimedia experience with a large intuitive touch-screen at an amazing price.â€
The stylish Sanyo Zio handset is filled to the brim with an accelerometer to rotate between landscape and portrait orientations, an ambient light sensor, full HTML Web browser, media player for streaming videos, and access to over 80,000 widgets and applications from the Android Market. Interestingly, users’ address book can be integrated with social apps like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace for quicker social networking. Measuring only 0.5-inches thick, the smartphone tips the scale at a mere 3.7 ounces.
“We are confident that Zio’s blend of style, functionality and affordability will make the virtually unlimited customization and personalization of Android available to entirely new groups of consumers who were intimidated by the technology or price of previous smartphones. Zio humanizes the technology and puts the power of Android in a sleek, attractive device,†remarked Yasuhiro Oishi, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Kyocera Communications.
Kyocera crafted the Zio with black exterior which is trimmed in silver, while its soft-touch back ensures effortless handling. It comes with 512MB of internal memory and an included 2GB microSD card for storing multimedia and data files. Also, users can expand the handset’s memory since it supports up to 32GB microSDHC cards. Lastly, owners need to activate one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans for an enhanced smartphone usage.
The latest Sanyo Zio handset is available at all Sprint retail channels as well as through its online store for $99.99 (approx Rs. 4,471) after a $100 (approx Rs. 4,472) mail-in rebate, excluding taxes.
