Sprint announced this morning the official release for the Kyocera Milano, a device which was rumored to launch on Sept. 9 over a week ago. The Milano looks like a mid- to low-end Android smartphone, with the typical specs you’ll see in any Android phone in that range, like a 3-inch display, Android 2.3, a 3.2 MP camera and slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It weighs 5.6 ounces and has a 1490 mAHh battery, and 512MB of RAM and ROM.
The Milano will offer other noteworthy features such as ‘Eco Mode’ and Sprint ID. Eco Mode is a preloaded power-management application from Kyocera, while Sprint ID helps users cut through useless apps within the Android Market, allowing them to select from a variety of packs that feature apps, ringtones, wallpapers, widgets and more downloaded on their device all at once.
The Kycocera Milano is a cheap phone perfect for those who haven’t tried Android, and don’t want to leave the comfort of having a QWERTY keyboard. Kyocera Milano requires activation on one of the Sprint Everything Data plans plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. If the Milano doesn’t grab your attention then maybe the Kyocera Brio will. The Brio is a cheaper and simpler option aimed at tweens with even lower-end specs. The phone has a candy-bar form factor, which also includes a curved QWERTY keyboard.
It seems like carriers and OEMs have been making a concerted effort in saturating the market with lower-range Android smartphones as of late. This may be good for the bottom line, but it reeks of fragmentation, because we all know these types of phones will be the last to receive updates to the latest OS from Google — if they get any update at all.
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