[CEATEC 2014] This might be a bit ho-hum among the masses over in the U.S., as the Kyocera Brigadier has already been released on Verizon at the end of July this year, delivering some sapphire glass (or rather, it is called the Sapphire Shield over in that part of the world) goodness to those who are sick and tired of their smartphone screens getting scratched after mixing it up with some keys and coins in the pocket. Of course, if there is one thing that you can be sure that the Kyocera Brigadier is able to deliver, it would be this – you won’t find instances of it bending after being placed in your pocket.
The Brigadier, as the dictionary defines it, is an officer in the British army who is in command of a brigade, and ranks under a major general. Hence, you know that someone who has already made it to that particular rank in the army would be tough as nails (and some would also say extremely lucky to have lived through so many battles in the past where fighting involves running down a field to meet the enemy forces and their bayonets head on), which is why it is a very fitting name for this Kyocera handset – the Kyocera Brigadier.
Sapphire glass is extremely hard, which means it would be difficult to scratch the screen, although do take into consideration that being hard does not necessarily mean it is not going to crack, or is unbreakable. No sir, that particular combination of being virtually scratch-proof and unbreakable is but a pipe dream at this point in time. Still, such a robust handset will be able to work well and look pretty decent to boot.
Just to refresh our memories, the Kyocera Brigadier is more than capable of meeting procurement standard MIL-STD-810G of the US Department of Defense head on, which means it has already gone through the rigors of all 11 tests that include resistance to water, dust, impacts and shaking/vibrations, among others. Outdoor types would definitely love the Kyocera Brigadier thanks to its outstanding durability. Heck, even when you are wearing a pair of gloves (handy during winter or if you are involved in some rather heavy labor), or if the glass happens to be wet – as demonstrated on the CEATEC stage during a rehearsal of the presentation, it will still respond to touch.
No idea on how much it will cost in Japan when it arrives though, as you can find an unlocked model in the U.S. for $400 thereabouts, giving us a better idea on how much the Kyocera Brigadier would cost in the Land of the Rising Sun when it arrives.
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