Kyocera Duraforce PRO doubles as a wide-angle action camera

Kyocera has announced the Duraforce PRO, its latest rugged phone that has a built-in wide view action camera. Mainly known for its waterproof and shockproof devices, this will be the first time that Kyocera adds an action camera into its phone to combine the best of two worlds into one. Sporting a 5-inch 1080p display, the Duraforce PRO features 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. On the back you've got a 13MP camera, and the front has a 5MP shooter for capturing those selfies. The rear camera features a number of new modes, such as underwater mode, sports mode, slow motion, time-lapse and other camera filters/applications.

With its 3420mAh battery, you should get all-day battery life and solid recording time on the action camera. The phone will be available later this fall, but no word on pricing yet.

Press release:

Kyocera Goes Pro with New Duraforce PRO, the First Rugged Smartphone with a Built-in Super Wide View FHD Action Camera

The Only Rugged Smartphone All-In-One Super Wide View FHD Action Camera

SAN DIEGO – – Kyocera International Inc., the North American leader in rugged mobile solutions, today announced the new Kyocera DuraForce PRO – the only rugged 4G LTE smartphone with a Super Wide View FHD (1080p) Action Camera. The latest in Kyocera's leading portfolio of military-grade rugged, waterproof devices, DuraForce PRO offers an affordable, durable and dependable smartphone for both business users and consumers. Complementing the phone's 13MP rear camera and 5MP front camera, the new Super Wide View Camera offers functionality once reserved for dedicated action-camera devices, including underwater operation mode, and the phone can be integrated with popular action-camera mounts. DuraForce PRO will launch nationwide in the coming months.

DuraForce PRO was designed by Kyocera to be rugged for a reason—to provide businesses and consumers with a dependable smartphone that can withstand the harshest environments and mishaps, all with the peace of mind of a 2-year manufacturer's warranty. For an industrious worker, an adventurous thrill-seeker or a parent on the go, DuraForce PRO incorporates cutting-edge technology and features designed to function in life's most demanding moments. It is equipped with a large 5-inch Full HD display and a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ octa-core processor (1.5GHz x 4/1.2GHz x 4) with X8 LTE and multi-mode to ensure fast connections on diverse global networks.¹

The phone is shockproof, drop-proof, and dustproof, with certifications to IP68 (waterproof up to 30 minutes, up to 2 meters deep) and Military Standard 810G for protection against dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, blowing rain, low pressure, solar radiation, salt fog, humidity, immersion, temperature shock and icing/freezing rain. Enabling seamless one-to-one or one-to-many communications, DuraForce PRO also includes a dedicated side button for Push-To-Talk (PTT) that can also be programmed by non-PTT users for one-touch access to a favorite feature or application.

"Kyocera's new DuraForce PRO provides consumers and businesses with industry-leading rugged technology and is the only rugged smartphone with a built-in high-definition action camera, enabling users to stay connected and capture the content they love no matter the circumstance or environment," said Chuck Becher, senior division vice president of sales, marketing and product at Kyocera International's Communications Equipment Group. "With the breadth of durable features our customers have come to expect from Kyocera, DuraForce PRO delivers peace of mind, unmatched durability and rugged design, all at a price point consumers will love."

In addition to the Super Wide View FHD Action Camera, DuraForce PRO also integrates the following features:

  • Leading security features, including a fingerprint security sensor on the phone's power button for biometric authentication and FIDO® Certified for simpler, stronger authentication to support popular mPayment/ mCommerce protocols
  • Cutting-edge connectivity, including enterprise-grade Wi-Fi with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/r/k, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Mobile Hot Spot (for up to ten devices), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, Miracast and USB 2.0
  • Enhanced camera features including underwater mode, sports mode, slow motion, time-lapse and other camera filters/applications
  • Leading-edge performance with a Snapdragon processor and 32GB/2GB of ROM/RAM memory capacity
  • Survivability with waterproof, shockproof, dropproof and dustproof capabilities, certified to Ingress Protection (IP) and Military Standard 810G standards for environmental hazards
  • Extreme-environment protection, including protection against dust, shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, blowing rain, low pressure, solar radiation, salt fog, humidity, immersion, temperature shock and icing/freezing rain
  • Impact-resistant 5" FHD (1920x1080) display designed to survive falls with a hardened, impact-resistant touchscreen
  • Continuous productivity across environments with Glove and Wet Touchscreen Operation to allowing the device to be functional even when wet or used with gloved hands
  • Longer battery life with a large 3,240mAh non-removable battery, Wireless Charging support and Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 2.0, a comprehensive suite of battery-management technologies that lets devices charge up to 75 percent faster than conventional charging methods
  • Enhanced audio experience through 100+dB dual front speakers for improved sound, particularly in noisy environments

For business and enterprise users, Kyocera is collaborating with leading enterprise application and solution providers. DuraForce PRO supports Android for Work, along with industry-leading security, device-management and productivity apps. It is currently being certified for Common Criteria for government agencies and other entities with that requirement. Kyocera also works with a wide array of accessory manufacturers, creating hardware solutions to customize the device for specific industries. The device is certified for use in hazardous locations where concentrations of flammable gas, vapors or mists are not normally present in explosive concentrations but may exist (Non-incendive Class I, Division 2, Group A-D, T4).

Jared DiPane
Jared started off writing about mobile phones back when BlackBerry ruled the market, and Windows Mobile was kinda cool. Now, with a family, mortgage and other responsibilities he has no choice but to look for the best deals, and he's here to share them with you.