Sprint Announces Sanyo Zio 'droid
Sprint has announced at CTIA that it will offer an Android-powered Sanyo Handset, dubbed the Zio, as of Oct. 10th. http://bit.ly/d9MfBz
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 06, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Proving that a wireless device can be smart, attractive and unique to each individual, the Android-powered Sanyo Zio will launch with Sprint on Oct. 10. At the CTIA Enterprise & Applications trade show today, Sprint and Kyocera Communications Inc., provider of Kyocera- and Sanyo-branded wireless devices, announced the launch of the new smartphone to coincide with the rollout of Sprint ID, a user-friendly new means of personalizing Android devices.
The intelligently sleek device with the customizable Android 2.1operating system opens new realms of rich multimedia experiences with a 3.5-inch WVGA touch-screen, 3.2 MP camera and 30-frame-per-second video record and playback. The handset’s high-resolution, touch-screen display is like carrying a flatscreen TV that fits in a pocket.
Designed with productivity and entertainment in mind, Zio boasts multiple keyboard options, all with haptic feedback, an accelerometer to rotate between landscape and portrait orientations and an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts screen brightness to optimize viewing. The easy-to-use trackball also helps users navigate between the seemingly endless features found on Zio, including address book integration with such social apps as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace; GPS functionality and digital compass plus preloaded Google Maps(TM); media player for streaming videos; full HTML Web browser; and a full library of more than 80,000 widgets and applications available from Android Market(TM). Zio also features a pre-loaded Exchange Email application that supports corporate Outlook e-mail, calendar, contacts and tasks, while also supporting ActiveSync and enhanced security features.
As beautiful as it is powerful, Zio is only 0.5 inches thick and weighs only 3.7 ounces, making it one of the thinnest, lightest Android devices on the market. The jet-black exterior is trimmed in silver with a soft-touch back that helps ensure that it won’t slip out of your hands. With 512MB of internal memory, a 2GB microSD memory card (provided in box) and support for up to 32GB microSDHC cards, Zio can handle even the most robust of applications.
With a focus on making the Android experience accessible to those looking for a phone priced under $100, Zio will cost just $99.99 with a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade and after a $100 mail-in rebate.