Kyocera Echo Dual-Screen Smartphone Can Now Be Reserved

If the dual-touchscreen design of the Kyocera Echo is for you, you can put in a reservation for one now, which will ensure that a unit is waiting for you on the release day.

Sprint is now taking reservations for the unique Kyocera handset on its website, offering the smartphone at a price point of $200 after a $100 instant rebate and two-year contract. The Echo will be released in less than a month's time; customers pre-pre-ordering the smartphone via Sprint's website will be able to get their hands on it come April 17.

Kyocera Echo Overview
The Kyocera Echo is going to sports two, 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen displays, which can be arranged in multiple ways -- tablet mode, optimized mode, simul-task mode, and single-screen mode -- thanks to the metal "pivot hinge" that links them together.

Tablet mode combines the two screens for one large display, measuring 4.7 inches on the diagonal, while optimized mode allows users to spread different parts of an app over two screens (think YouTube video on the top screen with related and queued up videos on the bottom). Single-screen mode, of course, is when the phone is closed up and utilizing just one screen like a standard, open-face phone, and simul-task allows you to multitask by running any two of the device's core apps at the same time.

Given the unique, dual-screen factor of the Echo, it will require more power than your standard smartphone. As such, it is powered by one 1370 mAh battery that can be swapped out for a second battery of the same capacity, which also ships with the device. Whichever battery is currently not in use can be charged using the included cradle.

Running Google Android OS 2.2 (Froyo), the Echo will be powered by a 1 GHz processor, have 1 GB of on-board memory, and will come bundled with an 8 GB microSD card. Though it cannot connect to Sprint's 4G WiMAX network, the Echo will support the carrier's 3G network and will also have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.