Kyocera Dumps the Dull, Amps up the Style

Kyocera had a clear message during CTIA, which I'll paraphrase roughly as: "We know we've been making dull-looking phones, we're sorry, and we promise to do better." Judging from what I've seen here in Orlando, Kyocera is off to a good start. The handset manufacturer went out and hired industrial designer Frank Tyneski (formally of RIM) to give Kyocera's handset lineup a complete makeover, and the results are striking.

Most interesting is the new E5000, a stainless-steel clamshell with an arresting "S" design that's unlike anything I've seen in a wireless handset. The design looks delicate, but Kyocera reps assured me that it will stand up to everyday use (a promise I plan to test once I get a review unit). The EV-DO enabled phone can stream video and download music, and you can crank your tunes over a stereo Bluetooth headset. A microSD memory expansion slot and a 1.3-megapixel camera round out the package. Expect the E5000 to arrive in worldwide markets this fall, along with a more traditional EV-DO clamshell, the E2000, and the budget E1000 handset.

Also of note is the M1000, a clamshell-styled QWERTY messaging phone that's clearly a successor to the Switch_Back on Virgin Mobile. Designed more for texting than composing e-mail messages, the M1000 now comes with a 1.3-megapixel camera, versus the VGA snapper on the Switch_Back, as well as Bluetooth for wireless calling, although the 1.8-inch internal screen still looks a bit small. Look for the M1000 to make landfall during the summer.