The Kyocera Rise is a chunky yet compact smartphone that offers a taste of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on the cheap. It’s one of the smallest handsets ever to be released to market with ICS, and that’s part of what makes it quite an attractive option. Although small, it features a speedy Snapdragon processor so users will have no problem navigating menus and running applications. However, it can be faulted for is its limited amount of RAM and internal storage—which are 512MB and 2GB, respectively.
How small is the Rise, exactly? It weighs less than 160 grams but is a bit on the chunky side, measuring 14mm thick. It comes equipped with a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen display and has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that can be hidden behind its touchscreen display when not in use. The keys on its keyboard are quite large and evenly spaced, which makes typing for even long periods of time quite comfortable.
Some reviewers complain that the Rise ships with a low quality touchscreen display and spec-wise it definitely doesn't measure up to panels found on other ICS-powered handsets. But it’s still a relatively large screen and has a good native resolution.
In a world where physical smartphone buttons are quickly going the way of the dodo, it’s refreshing to see something like the Rise. Not only does it come with a full touchscreen display but it also has a full QWERTY keyboard. And with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as the default operating system, it’s an excellent model overall—a perfect fit for messaging buffs looking for a cheap new Android handset.
Need to Know: Kyocera Rise
1. Full QWERTY keyboard for user input. (The Good)
2. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as the default OS. (The Good)
3. Small, low-resolution touchscreen display. (The Bad)
4. Only 512MB of RAM. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Brian K., PhoneArenaThe Rise’s screen is still of poor quality and the call quality has taken a hit too.
- Eric M. Zeman, Phone ScoopThe Rise could have been a home run for Kyocera. Just a few failures keep it from being a really great phone.
- Lynn La, CnetThough it's always refreshing to see Android 4.0 run on a midlevel handset, not every Ice Cream Sandwich flavor is irresistible. While I did appreciate the Kyocera Rise's call quality and low price, outside of the relatively new OS, this device doesn't have much to offer. Unlike its wet and wild cou...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Kyocera Rise user manual here.
Kyocera backs up the Rise with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Rise has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Kyocera support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Kyocera's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- Kyocera Rise Manual (PDF)
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