News

KYOCERA Wireless Announces the Arrival of Kyocera "Slider" Handset with U.S. Cellular

Unique Sliding Phone Designed to Fit Fashion-Forward Lifestyle

SAN DIEGO -- November 5, 2003 -- Kyocera Wireless Corp., a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless phones, announced today the launch of its highly anticipated Kyocera Slider SE47 with U.S. Cellular, which will be available in November. Slider marks Kyocera and U.S. Cellular's entrée into the fashion-forward handset market with a style and sensibility not yet seen in CDMA handsets.

Sleek and stylish, Slider features silver and chrome function and navigation keys and a unique sliding faceplate, unlike any other CDMA handset, that reveals a large, 65,000-color display with speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, polyphonic ringtones, predictive text and enhanced two-way messaging. It's as small as a clamshell and easy to navigate with an unobstructed full-color screen that allows for easier caller ID viewing and makes answering the phone simple.

"The response to Slider from consumers and our partners has been phenomenal. Slider was designed for the discerning fashion-forward crowd - one that you're equally apt to find on the slopes, hitting the links or in the hottest new clubs - and the distinctive style of this phone really speaks to them," said Don McGuire, vice president of global marketing for Kyocera Wireless Corp. "Wireless devices have become a part of our culture and fashion - Slider combines the design, features and price point that trendsetters are looking for."

"U.S. Cellular is thrilled to be a partner with Kyocera to offer the one-of-a-kind Slider SE47," said Jay Ellison, executive vice president of operations. "This is a great opportunity to provide our customers with a trend-setting handset that is user-friendly."

The Kyocera Slider will be available in blue through U.S. Cellular in late November. Productivity tools include a scheduler, calculator, alarm clock and stopwatch. The dual-band digital cellular handset incorporates assisted-GPS and CDMA2000 1X technology and has TTY and TDD capabilities for the hearing impaired. The phone comes standard with BREW 2.0 capabilities, allowing for easy download of games, ringers, contacts and much more (subject to wireless service provider). Predictive text-input software provides rapid text entry in English, Spanish or Portuguese. The Kyocera Slider weighs only 3.39 ounces and measures 8.8 x 4.8 x 2.3 cm closed and 12.2 x 4.8 x 2.3cm open.

About U.S. Cellular
U.S. Cellular Corporation, the nation's eighth largest wireless service carrier, provides wireless service to more than 4.3 million customers in 143 markets throughout 26 states. The twenty-year-old, Chicago-based company operates on a customer satisfaction strategy, meeting customers' needs by providing a comprehensive range of wireless products and services, superior customer support, a high-quality network and targeted community outreach activities. U.S. Cellular is listed and traded as USM on the American Stock Exchange. For more information on U.S. Cellular, visit www.uscellular.com.

About Kyocera Wireless Corp.
Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera International Inc., which acquired QUALCOMM Incorporated's CDMA consumer wireless phone business in February 2000. Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a leading supplier of innovative, feature-rich CDMA handsets and accessories for customers worldwide. Based in San Diego, the company is ISO-14001 and ISO-9001 certified and has won city, state and federal awards for its environmentally friendly manufacturing and recycling practices. For more information, please visit www.kyocera-wireless.com.

Kyocera Corporation, the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cameras, laser printers, copiers, solar energy systems and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2003, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled approximately US$9 billion (JP¥ 1,069,770 million) with net income of approximately US$348 million (JP¥ 41,165 million).


Copyright 2003 by Kyocera Wireless Corp. Kyocera is a registered trademark of Kyocera Corp. All other trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACTS:
John Chier
Kyocera Wireless Corp.
phone: 1-(858) 882-3543
e-mail: jchier@kyocera-wireless.com

Leasa Ireland/Melody Brue
LPI Communications for Kyocera Wireless Corp.
phone: 1-(310) 796-1936
email: leasa@lpicommunications.com

Alonzo Brown, media relations specialist
U.S. Cellular
phone: 1-(773) 399-4193 or 1-(708) 299-9774
email: alonzo.brown@uscellular.com