Price Comparisons of Kyocera Hydro Prepaid Android Phone (Boost Mobile)
Product Description
Kyocera Hydro cell phone - used but working. Phone has all applicable apps downlaod, option to add more, music and ring options also available.
List Price :
$79.99Price : $70.66
You Save : $9.33
* Special discount only for limited time
Product Feature
- Android 4.0 & Get Android Apps on Google Play
- Waterproof
- 3.5 Inch Touchscreen Display
- Wi-Fi & GPS Enabled
- 3.2 MP Camera with Flash
- + Video Camera
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277 of 289 people found the following review helpful.
A Bit of a One-Trick Pony...but What a Trick!
By Barrett Benton
First of all, let's get the "negative" points of this smartphone out of the way, front-and-center:
- The Hydro lacks 4G capability.
- The screen is relatively small (by contemporary standards), and of moderate resolution.
- You get "only" a 1gHz, single-core processor. Heavy gamers won't be pleased.
- The 3.2MP camera (rear-facing-only) isn't much to write home about.
Now, on to the meat of the matter: as a freelance IT person, I've set up scores of iPhones (from the first version up to the 4S), and any number of Android phones for clients needing help getting their heads wrapped around their new, pocketable devices. Me? I hardly felt the need for that much mobile firepower: as a long-retired gamer, I wasn't terribly seduced by large, high-res screens (that's what laptops and tablets are for, right?), and I hardly get off on the idea of watching a feature-length movie on a 4.3-inch screen, high-def or not. I was more than happy with a BlackBerry Curve for my needs ("needs" being defined in my case as: e-mail, texting, IM, Web/data...and, usually, just placing and taking calls wherever I happen to be...yes, a phone!). "A tool, not a toy" has long been my mantra.
That changed a bit when I discovered that the BlackBerry platform doesn't play well with IMAP-based e-mail. I discovered this when I moved to a Gmail account and wanted to take advantage of IMAP's features. (I won't delve into the niceties of IMAP here, so at the risk of sounding rude, Just Bleeping Google It.) The long and short of it is that RIM was of no help to me, and the problem was beyond the realm of my cellular carrier (Boost Mobile). I wanted to stick with my carrier, but what was I going to do?
I'd taken a glance at various Android phones for the better part of a year. Found nothing compelling, and all the phones seemed to cost at least a bit more than I was willing to shell out at a given time. I didn't care a lot about having the biggest screen or the highest resolution; nice as those are, I'd just be paying for stuff that didn't matter much in the main. I *did* care a bunch about e-mail, and it made sense that since Google was responsible for both the Android OS *and* Gmail, it was a no-brainer that the two would meld quite well. But I decided to sit on the fence and suffer quietly with my Curve. (Someone told me "Hey, you can just access Gmail from your 'Berry's browser, right?" Right, except that, if you know anything about the BlackBerry, you also know that doing this totally negates the main reason for sticking with the platform in the first place.)
Along comes the Hydro. The "killer app" for me in this phone's specs wasn't an app at all: this phone was spec'd as watertight, at least down to a meter in water. I've killed at least one phone by drowning, and I'm generally a LOT more careful handling my phones than most people I've observed. This feature alone could overshadow shortcomings such as a lack of 4G or a humongous, max-res screen. It means I can whip the thing out in a driving thunderstorm (or, less dramatically, in the middle of taking a shower), and not fear subjecting the phone to a premature death. It simply makes the phone *useful* in more situations, and under more (and more adverse) conditions than other smartphones...in this case more than almost *any* other smartphone you can name.
Meanwhile: The Hydro is pleasantly light, by way of casing that's entirely plastic. It doesn't have the "sexy" heft or look as a phone with metal wrapping around it, but I'll take light weight (with some structural integrity) over "sexy" (which is subjective, anyway) any day of the week. I will say the Hydro is anything but an eyesore: the worst you might say about it is that it looks somewhat ordinary. Hardly a sin in my mind.
The screen is of decent size, and moderate in resolution, yet quite legible; Web pages come up with reasonable contrast and color, and page downloading, while not lightning-quick, is certainly fast enough for general purposes. Brightness is adjusted automatically based on ambient lighting conditions.
The touch-screen interface is pleasant to use. Note that the Hydro does have off-screen touch-controls at the phone's bottom, even though the latest iterations of the Android OS have largely done away with the need for such ancillary controls. They seem to work well.
And, speaking of the OS: the Hydro comes loaded with Android 4.0.4 (code-named Ice Cream Sandwich...I rather like that name). My exposure to previous iterations of Android have been somewhat limited, but I can say that the overall "feel" of the OS is pleasantly smooth and responsive, and the downloading, launching and moving-around of apps exposed nothing in the way of untoward behavior thus far.
And, those apps...well over half a million so far. Still a fair count behind the iPhone, but as something of an Apple fanboy myself I can tell you that the Android platform has moved well past the "just a contender among many" stage and swinging it's weight just fine, thank you.
As I said, no 4G here...but there's 3G, which does the job rather well (this in spite of Sprint's somewhat-spotty rep in terms of 3G network performance), and wi-fi, and Bluetooth, as well as wi-fi hotspot capability. BT pairing with my Motorola HX-1 headset was painless, although getting the phone to play nice with my Apple AirPort Extreme took a little doing. (Hint: If you haven't done it in a while, check your wireless router for software/firmware updates, and download/install them when available. If not, simply restart the router...that often does the trick.) Overall reception was somewhat better than my BlackBerry Curve 8530, but as the saying goes, YMMV.)
(9/29/12 Addendum): I recently purchased a BlueAnt T1 Bluetooth headset to try out with the Hydro: so far, so good, although one problem I discovered with both headsets is that the voice-dial command voice from the phone - the voice that says "speak now", among other things - is rather low in volume, with no means of adjustment by the user. I've contacted Kyocera about this, since it appears to be an issue with the Voice-Dial app, not the phone itself, and I've been told a fix is in the works. Hardly a deal-breaker IMO, but the fix will make an already pretty-solid phone superb.
Then there's the price: almost silly-cheap. If you're already using a BlackBerry on Boost, you're in for a treat: normally, buying the phone in-person entails an extra charge for set-up and such; In my case, they simply sold me the phone, transferred my account and had me set up in minutes, no extra charge. Couldn't be happier.
(9/29/12 Addendum): One other "bonus" to not having stuff like 4G or a large, max-res screen is battery life: I've typically gone for over seven hours, utilizing the phone's various functions, and managed to run the battery down to about 25% or so of remaining capacity - rather good stats, compared to most razzle-dazzle phones out out there. Kyocera's included Eco app helps out here.
Proverbial Bottom Line: if you value function over sheer entertainment value, I can safely say Kyocera's Hydro packs quite a bit of value for the bucks. Don't let the "entry-level" remarks of upcoming reviews scare you off: unless you *have* to have big-screen bling or that sexy silver band to wrap your anxious hands around, I'd say this phone rocks hard enough in its own quiet way. And when you and your friends are stuck in the rain and someone needs to call a car service to save the day, *you* get to play DareDevil without worry.
(UPDATE 02/04/13 - Six Months Out): So far, no major surprises...there have been a few app-related glitches here and there, but nothing especially aggravating. Kyocera just released a firmware/software upgrade which I installed today; So far, the most I can detect is a mild kick in speed, similar to when I've performed firmware upgrades in computers and such. It's taken some rain, some snow, and a few drops to the floor - in and out of the case I bought for it - and it's hanging tough.
(UPDATE 07/27/13) - Goodness, nearly a year out, practically a lifetime in cellular terms. Here's what's happened since my last update:
- App Madness: My Hydro went a little nuts for the better part of a week, without much explanation, at least at first - slug-slow response, frequent restarts...the usual stuff a number of people have slagged the phone for before. After some sleuthing, it turned out that an update for one app, plus the addition of another app had done the phone in: removing said apps brought things back to normal. Moral: whatever phone you buy, if it starts going buggy after a few months, check your apps before blaming the phone itself.
- Bent Reception: Shortly after this little misadventure, I had a week where my phone reception at home became close to nonexistent - calls and text messages were getting through sporadically at best. Since this is my main phone, I couldn't have that. A quick call to Boost cleared up the mystery: a Sprint cellular tower in my area had apparently collapsed, screwing up service for a lot of people, but they were on top of things and would have service restored quickly. Which they did.
- Right this moment, I'm holding the new Hydro EDGE, the Hydro's apparent replacement. All I'll say for now is that, save for 4G LTE (nope, still doesn't have it, but I can deal), it appears to be, on paper, a sizable upgrade all-around: dual-core processor, slightly bigger screen (now behind "impact-resistant" glass), upgraded camera (5MP with autofocus, plus 720p hi-def video), Kyocera's unique Smart Sonic Receiver, essentially a form of bone-conduction technology that allows you to hear your caller's voice under quite noisy conditions, et cetera, et cetera. Is it any good? Stay tuned...and beware of reviews from people who've owned theirs for less than a week. :-)
41 of 45 people found the following review helpful.
Awesome Phone!
By James
I bought this for my wife who was using a non smart phone from Boost. I already have been using a Samsung Galaxy Prevail for the past year so I thought I would try out the Kyocera for her. I can saw wow to this phone in comparison to my prevail! The storage has tons compared to my Prevail, it flies, has a bigger screen and is water resistant! I bought her a purple plastic and rubber protective case on Amazon and it looks nice. I like this phone so much, I bought one and it is on the way! I got it on sale for $99 and I will be retiring the Galaxy Prevail! I am not a smart phone guru by any means and all I have to compare it to is my Samsung and there is no comparison! I really like the Ice Cream Sandwich and am blown away by how voice mail is transferred to text so no more calling, entering stuff and going through call after call. I can't put it down! Every app that I have on my Galaxy runs way way faster on the Kyocera! THUMBS UP!
35 of 39 people found the following review helpful.
Waterproof Smartphone!
By Christopher J. Maddox
Recieved mine 2 days ago and I am totally jazzed.
Its got more than what Id expect in a $129 phone: ICS, 1ghz, and the screen reads well in daylight. Its light, travels easy in the pocket & does the web well.
Now the waterproof thing is really cool. Drop it in water, dunk it, leave it. It totally works & goes against all my mental training over the past 10 years on how to treat a phone. The touchscreen is suprisingly responsive when wet (not perfect) but I can see myself trying underwater video this weekend. And Im stoked I dont have to have a big bulky phone to get waterproofed as Ive seen before.
Well done.
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