We always envisioned Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) as a low-end handset maker and they seem to like just the way it is. That being said their latest CDMA line-up doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Few lines are tweaked, but basically all their new phones are considered low-end. Let’s roll:

• Neo E1100: 2.2 inch QVGA display, Bluetooth 2.0, BREW, 1.3 MP camera and a hidden OLED out display
• Mako S4000: two screens (inner is 1.8-inch), VGA camera, BREW, Bluetooth
• Adreno S2400: 1.8 inch screen, external caller ID display, BREW, no camera at all

Next, we expect Virgin Mobile USA (NYSE: VM) or perhaps Alltel to pick one of these and offer it for free or next to nothing.

[Via: PhoneScoop]

It’s been a long time in the making and we’re glad to hear that long-rumored Sanyo buy-out candidate Kyocera has finally sealed the deal with Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY). As you may recall, Sanyo’s mobile phone unit has struggled to turn a profit, and so put their cellphone-manufacturing arm on the auction block. Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) is said to be putting up $378 – $472 million to take Sanyo’s mobile phone manufacturing unit of its hands – making the the world’s 6th largest mobile phone maker.

Now, the deal is expected by some to help boost Kyocera’s market share and presence on the global market. Still, there are analysts that don’t see any benefit in a deal between two low-key market players. Japan’s mobile phone industry is incredibly fragmented (there are no fewer than 10 cellphone manufacturers in the island-nation), and has failed to gain a foothold in the face of larger global players like Nokia, Motorola (NYSE: MOT), and Samsung.

Kyocera is liking blowing their $378 – $472 million wad to gain that 6th place ranking, and not much more. Good luck with that whole market-share nonsense.

[Via: Financial Times]

Verizon just launched the new Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) KPC680 ExpressCard allowing interested parties to access the carrier’s fast EV-DO Rev. A network and take their Internet work/play with them, wherever they are. According to the official release — which follows after the jump — BroadbandAccess users can expect average download speeds of 600kbps to 1.4Mbps, and upload speeds ranging from 500kbps to 800kbp.

Kyocera is especially proud of KPC680’s uniquely designed antenna that apparently provides greater sensitivity, while keeping a compact form factor. Hmmm… it does look interested, but “breakthrough” is not the word I would use…

Anyway, the Kyocera KPC680 ExpressCard could be yours for $49.99 after a mail-in rebate and of course an appropriate ($59.99 per month) two-year agreement. Promised press release starts now…

Read the full article »

Virgin Mobile USA (NYSE: VM) is known to target young people who are usually on a budget when it comes to mobile phone purchases. Hence, most of their phones are somewhere in the low-to-mid range.

Lately, they’ve added a new device to support heavy SMS users on their network – Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) Wireless’ Wild Card. Although we found it’s far from a “superior handset” their release is stating, the Wild Card DOES pack some interesting features for only $99.99. Aside from the full QWERTY keyboard that is probably THE raison d’être of this device, the Kyocera’s handset also packs Bluetooth connectivity, dual screens (internal is 128×160 pixel), 1.3 MP camera with 3x digital zoom, integrated speakerphone, and WAP 2.0 Web browser.

Interested? You can already grab it at Best Buy, Radio Shack, Target and Wal-Mart; or wait for Wednesday (October 24) and get it from Virgin Mobile USA’s website.

Wow, it really looks like Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) is offloading all of it’s mobile phone divisions. The latest mobile phone arm to take new ownership is Sanyo’s mobile phone sales division. TelePark Corp. has ponied up 4.8 billion yen ($41.6 million) to Sanyo for the mobile phone manufacturer’s sales department.

We should make it clear that TelePark has not acquired Sanyo’s mobile phone division – that would go to Kyocera. However, this deal just confirms that Sanyo wants out of the mobile phone business and that Sanyo will most likely be offloading their mobile phone infrastructure to Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) – making them a true global player.

We’ll keep an eye on this space for you guys. We’re excited to see what Kyocera brings us in the next few development cycles.

[ Via: Wall Street Journal]

Remember when we told you that Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) wanted out of the mobile phone manufacturing business? Well, it seems they’ve found a suitor to take their not-so-blushing mobile phone division off their hands. Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) is reportedly in the final stages of negotiations to buy Sanyo’s in-the-red handset business.

If the acquisition goes through, we could see the creation of the 7th largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world – a definite boost for Kyocera. Word has it that Kyocera will be ponying up 50 billion yen ($435 million) to Sanyo, which should help ease the ailing company’s three-year streak of red-ink.

We’ll keep you updated on how this deal goes down. In the super-competitive market that is the mobile phone business, we wouldn’t be surprised if Kyocera backed out at the last minute, fearing too much risk in the Sanyo acquisition. On the flip side, Kyocera would instantly come into established infrastructure, helping make Kyocera a stronger global player. Stay tuned!

[Via: Yahoo]

The latest Intellectual Patent battle, this time between Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) (who else?) and Broadcom, has resulted in the International Trade Commission (ITC) decision to ban Qualcomm from importing chipsets designed for use in 3G handsets into the US. The ruling follows a complaint, filed by Broadcom, that Qualcomm’s chip design was infringing on Broadcom (NSDQ: BRCM)’s IP in regards to the high-end chipsets. This ban will affect a range of wireless carriers and handset manufacturers – Verizon, AT&T, Sprint Nextel, Motorola (NYSE: MOT), Samsung, LG, and Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) Wireless.

Read the full article »

Near Field Communications (NFC) technology has really been getting some push from developers recently. The new Bluetooth 2.1 EDR protocol made some provisions for NFC technology to make pairing your Bluetooth 2.1 devices as easy as bringing the two together. Now Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) is developing this tech to free us of our wallets. Kyocera showcased their NFC tech with the Visa mobile platform – giving you wallet-free purchasing power with the not-so-proverbial wave of the hand. Bringing the phone close to a ‘payment slot’ automatically debits or charges your account, completing the transaction.

But what happens when you lose track of your mobile phone (or, more seriously, have it stolen)? When you lose your wallet, you can just call your financial institutions and report the lose. But what if the wallet is now also your phone? You not only have no way to pay for the bus ride home, but you also have no way to call up your bank to prevent fraudulent charges. We’re going to let this tech go through some field testing before we jump on board.

Source

Virgin Mobile announced the availability of a new cell phone to its customers in the US. The Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) MARBL is the carrier’s low-cost, low-end – yet sleek and stylish clamshell device, that boasts a color display, a two-way speakerphone, and rounded keys for easy texting.

The new device weighs less than 3 ounces, measures .8 inches, and is already available for a retail price of $29.99 (that’s without any contract) at Virgin Mobile’s more than 35,000 retail locations nationwide.

Kyocera (NYSE: KYO), a leading manufacturer of CDMA devices, just announced five new-look handsets from its 2007 product lineup at the CTIA Wireless 2007 trade show. Let’s start by introducing each one of them briefly…

Read the full article »