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Kyocera has introduced the G2GO M2000 and Laylo – both CDMA phones but intended for different users and states of mind.
The G2GO (pronounced “good to go”) is being touted as a low-cost, text-centric device with a full qwerty keypad.
The G2GO features a 2.4-inch QVGA screen that switches from a portrait to landscape orientation when the phone is turned – which users are likely to do when they slide out the three-button-deep qwerty keypad to text, instant message and e-mail. IMAP/POP3 e-mail can be supported.
The G2GO includes Bluetooth and a music player with dedicated keys, playlist management and a microSD card slot for up to 8 GB of additional storage.
A 1.3-megapixel camera is accessible from a dedicated key and includes digital zoom and photo editing. Other features of the G2GO include predictive text-input software, a WAP 2.0 browser, Brew 3.1.5 technology, voice-recognition features – such as voice dialing and voice response – a scheduler and a directory for up to 500 contacts.
A customized version of the G2GO, called the X-tc, will be available from Virgin Mobile on April 6 for $99.99, with no contract to sign.
The Kyocera Laylo, on the other hand, is a little more straightforward. It features a 2.2-inch QVGA screen that slides to reveal a keypad. It’s Brew 3.1.5 and Java enabled and includes Bluetooth and a VGA camera with digital zoom.
As with the G2GO, you get the 500-contacts directory, messaging features and voice-recognition. At 9.47 by 4.67 by 1.7 centimeters, and 3.17 grams, it’s perfect for an evening bag – along with what Kyocera describes as a “slide-out self portrait vanity mirror on the back.”
Pricing and carrier information for both phones have yet to be revealed.
Messaging-centric consumer phones have also recently been released by Motorola and Samsung.