Boasting of “the power of Sprint 3G and military-grade toughness,” Sprint announced Thursday the launch of its first sub-$100 submersible handset, the Sanyo Taho. Featuring a ruggedized housing and a non-slip grip, the Taho is an ideal device for a variety of labor industries. Sanyo’s Taho is built to military 810G spec and can withstand dust, shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, blowing rain and even water immersion. It also features a clamshell form factor, a 2-megapixel camera with LED flash and video capture support, GPS, Bluetooth, microSDHC support and more. The Sanyo Taho is available immediately online and in Sprint stores for $99.99 after rebate with a two-year contract. Hit the break for Sprint’s press release.
Ruggedized, Water Resistant Sanyo Taho by Kyocera Gives New Meaning to Term ‘Tough Talk,’ Becomes Sprint’s First Fully Submersible Phone Available for Less Than $100
SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mother Nature has met her match with the new Sanyo Taho by Kyocera, a ruggedized handset that, despite its good looks, can withstand some of the harshest elements and 30 minutes of full immersion in water up to one meter (3.28 feet) deep. Kyocera Communications Inc., provider of Kyocera- and Sanyo-branded wireless devices, announced Sprint’s (NYSE: S) launch of the new handset today, making it Sprint’s first fully submersible device available for less than $100. Sanyo Taho is available beginning today through direct-ship sales channels, including Sprint stores, Web sales (www.sprint.com) and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.* It will be available in all remaining Sprint sales channels beginning Jan. 9, 2011.
“This is our first handset that pairs a tough, military-grade design with features to stand up to the rigors and demands of extreme jobs and lifestyles”
Sanyo Taho’s rugged exterior and non-slip grip make it right at home on construction sites, security beats, delivery routes—anywhere you need (or want) to be. Being “military tough” (military standard 810G) means it can stand up to dust, shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, blowing rain and water immersion. But Sanyo Taho doesn’t scrimp on features; the clamshell handset supports applications including Sprint Navigation and Sprint Family Locator, and includes a robust front-ported speaker phone and a 2 megapixel camera with flash and camcorder.
“This is our first handset that pairs a tough, military-grade design with features to stand up to the rigors and demands of extreme jobs and lifestyles,” said Yasuhiro Ohishi, vice president of sales and marketing at Kyocera Communications Inc. “This is the answer for people who are rough on phones or, for whatever reason, regularly find themselves around water. Between outdoor sports and jobs that routinely involve harsh environments, Sanyo Taho will help make sure its users are always connected. Anyone who has lost a phone to the elements will understand its value.”
Sanyo Taho’s ergonomic shape is covered in a non-slip Dura-Grip® texture to ensure a solid grip. It has a 2-inch QVGA TFT internal display and 1-inch monochrome external display. The phone includes 256 MB of internal memory, a 1 GB microSD memory card (provided with handset) and support for memory cards up to 32GB. Sanyo Taho uses CDMA 1xEV-DO network technology, supporting autonomous GPS and Java Multitasking for third-party location-based services. For workplace or family settings, Sanyo Taho can restrict incoming and outgoing voice calls with password protection, disable both the camera and Web access, and lock the phone’s GPS functionality on so the phone’s location can always be tracked. Sanyo Taho offers a robust talk time of up to 6.1 hours.
Kyocera’s full line of Kyocera- and Sanyo-branded devices can be seen at http://www.kyocera-wireless.com.
