Spring is quickly approaching and Sprint knows folks will be looking for trails, mountains and hills to tackle. That’s why it’s readying a new rugged Android smartphone outfitted with 4G LTE radios. The Kyocera Torque has been rumored to come with Android 4.0 and will have a display with WVGA resolution, front and rear cameras and build specifications that might mirror military-grade handhelds.
The device has hit the FCC today, and the listing confirms the existence of NFC, something Sprint seems to be taking seriously seeing as it’s the only carrier partner Google has for Wallet. The leaked screen shot would suggest that this device will be mostly stock with the exception of some Sprint-specific pre-installed applications.
There’s a thin line between “easy on the eyes” and “butt ugly” when trying to design rugged smartphones, and Kyocera looks to have straddled that line quite nicely with this device. A carbon-esque look to it just exudes confidence in its toughness, but we’ll have to see it put to the test before we can give it the “tank” seal of approval.
[FCC via Unwired View]