AT&T is expanding its portfolio with the addition of a ruggedized phablet from Kyocera, announcing that the 5.7-inch DuraForce XD is coming soon.
The Kyocera DuraForce XD is a supersized smartphone designed to withstand harsh working environments and weather conditions, gunning for durability even in the toughest scenarios.
For a good while now, Kyocera has been committed to this niche of ruggedized devices that stand out from the crowd of regular smartphones. While a standard handset may be made from premium materials such as aluminum or glass, but still are quite fragile when dropped or subjected to harsh weather conditions, Kyocera's offerings are true survivors.
Kyocera largely relies on bulk orders from various companies who purchase such rugged handsets for employees who work in rough outdoor environments, but any individual can buy a Kyocera handset.
AT&T has now announced that the DuraForce XD Android phablet is headed its way soon, boasting IP68 and Military Standard 810G certifications that ensure the handset can withstand water, dust, drops, vibrations and dunks without suffering any damage.
Moreover, the Kyocera DuraForce XD can also handle low pressure, high altitudes and humidity, and supports the walkie-talkie like feature called Enhanced Push-To-Talk (EPPT). This feature comes particularly in handy on construction job sites, for instance.
The handset's 5.7-inch HD screen is also highly sensitive so that it responds to touch even if the display is wet or the user is wearing gloves. A large 3,700 mAh removable battery, meanwhile, should keep things up and running for quite a long time on a single charge.
"Kyocera's first rugged 4G LTE-ready1 big-screen smartphone, DuraForce XD is ideal for workers who are constantly mobile and need a larger smartphone display that can sustain harsh weather and work environments," AT&T notes in its press release.
"It's tested and approved to support AT&T Mobile Device Management (MDM), Enterprise Data Management (EDM), Workforce Automation (WFA), and Sales Force Automation (SFA) solutions. And it's AndroidTM for Work enabled, so you can customize it to meet most any industry needs."
The carrier doesn't offer any details regarding the internal hardware specifications of this new DuraForce XD phablet, and Kyocera's website doesn't reveal anything in this regards either.
When it comes to pricing and availability details, AT&T will offer more information in the near future. For now, the carrier only notes that the Kyocera DuraForce XD is "coming soon."
