Stefan Mileschin

Kyocera handsets in the US typically debut on Sprint or smaller carriers like Boost or Cricket, but that doesn't mean Verizon can't have a go at devices from the Japanese company. First spied a few months ago, the Kyocera Hydro Elite is one such handheld headed for Big Red, and looks to be a waterproof model much like its Hydro predecessor. Indeed, the Hydro Elite can supposedly be immersed in up to 3.28 feet (1 meter) of water for almost half an hour before calling it quits. Like the Torque, the Hydro Elite also boasts a Smart Sonic Receiver technology that promises outstanding audio quality even in the noisiest environments.

The Hydro Elite is not exactly tiny, measuring 4.82 x 2.38 x 0.43 inches and weighing in at 4.51 ounces. Other notable features include -- let's take a deep breath here -- a 4.3-inch HD display, 4G LTE, an 8-megapixel HD cam, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel shooter, Qi wireless charging, NFC, MHL support, DLNA support, a microSD card slot and a 2,100 mAH battery. Phew. If that list of specs sounds scintillating enough to you, you may pick one up at your local Verizon store this Thursday for only $100 after a rebate and a two-year service agreement. For those who need a little more convincing, you can check out a Kyocera-commissioned video after the break starring none other than Man vs. Wild survivalist Bear Grylls.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/27/v...&ncid=rss_semi