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KYOCERA Wireless Debuts New KX18 EV-DO Mobile Phone Series in Mexico: Slider Jet and Slider Ice Phones Offer High-Speed Internet Connection and Advanced Multimedia Features
KX18 series features 262,000 color-display, MP3 music player and a VGA camera; new phones increase Kyocera's EV-DO-based product portfolio in Mexico, initiated with the Passport card for high-speed mobile Web service
Mexico (October 30, 2006) -- Kyocera Wireless Corp., a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless phones and devices, today announced the introduction of the KX18 phone series to the Mexican market. The series is comprised of the black Slider Jet™ and its white version, the Slider Ice, Kyocera Wireless' first mobile phones with CDMA2000® 1x EV-DO capability for high-speed Internet connection and a wide array of multimedia tools.
Renata de la Vega, Kyocera Wireless' Regional Manager in Mexico, explained that the two new devices are the first Kyocera Wireless EV-DO phones to be offered to the Mexico market. Along with their diverse range of productivity and entertainment tools the Slider Jet and Slider Ice provide access to a high-speed wireless Internet connection to address the ever-increasing demand for technology, mobility and convergence in the country.
In addition to providing the basic voice service functions, both KX18 variants boast the following features: WAP, BREW, SMS and MMS (multimedia) messaging, music player (supporting MP3, AAC, MP4, 3GP and M4A formats) and an expandable memory port for an additional 1GB of storage. These phones are equipped with a VGA camera with flash, digital zoom, dedicated camera buttons as well as video recording and playback. Furthermore, they enable users to download their favorite TV programs and video-clips.
Other highlights of Slider Jet and Slider Ice are the 262,000 color-display ensuring high resolution for viewing images and videos, a speakerphone for hands-free conversation, the BREW® 2.1.3 technology for downloading games and ringers. It is equally worth mentioning that these mobile phones may be used as hybrids, that is, using the 1x capability in areas without EV-DO access.
Both devices have dedicated buttons for the music player and the camera; they can store up to 500 contacts complete with photo caller ID.
"All these features provide Mexicans with a combination of brilliant design and essential technology at the cutting edge of the mobile phone industry," asserted Renata de la Vega.
Julio Gaitán, Kyocera Wireless Latin America's Sales Director pointed out that these devices enable the company to significantly broaden its hi-tech products portfolio. "At Kyocera, we are committed to keeping our product portfolio fully updated. We are pleased to incorporate the Kyocera Slider Jet and Slider Ice into our portfolio, as they constitute a particularly important technological offer to the Mexican market."
The Kyocera Sales Director highlighted that the demand for EV-DO high-speed Internet wireless technology has risen in Mexico, for which Kyocera is providing a response to the domestic market through mobile phones such as Slider Jet and Slider Ice, as well as Passport cards for mobile computers or laptops.
"By being compatible with EV-DO and CDMA2000 1x connection services, the Kyocera Passport KPC650 card reaches a speed of 2.4 Mbps in EV-DO networks, with data transfer speeds of up to 400-700 Kbps, around 40 times faster than a dial-up connection. Its modem transfers 2G data at 14.4 kilobytes per second (Kbps) and 3G data for 1xRTT at speeds up to 143 Kbps," added Gaitán.
In the same context, he stressed that CDMA 1X mobile phone technology has significantly grown in the country. According to the forecasts and present market share levels, the number of users is expected to rise considerably by the end of the year 2006. That was the case with the EV-DO technology, which has shown sustained growth since 2005. The trend indicates that by the end of this year, there will be over six million users of this technology throughout Latin America.
The CDMA Development Group, for its part, has recently reported that 22 operators have deployed CDMA2000 1xEV-DO networks in 17 countries throughout Latin American and the Caribbean. "Capitalizing on high-speed data transmission capabilities - as stated in their report - the operators have introduced a wide range of broadband services for mobile phone users with the aim of addressing diverse market needs, from Internet access in unserviced areas to the most advanced applications, such as TV and 3D games. The operators are noting a significant rise in demand for the 1xEV-DO service, with a 40% quarterly growth in the number of subscribers."
The KX18 Slider Jet and Slider Ice series with EV-DO capabilities will be available in Mexico by the end of November 2006.
About Kyocera Wireless Corp.
Kyocera Wireless Corp. is one of the leading suppliers of innovative mobile accessories and devices with CDMA technology for consumers all over the world. Kyocera Wireless adheres to the company's belief in the beauty of simplicity and works to make the wireless experience as simple and intuitive as humanly possible. The company is exclusively owned by Kyocera International Inc., which acquired the CDMA mobile phone business from QUALCOMM® Inc. in February, 2000. Located in San Diego, California, the company is ISO-14001 and ISO-9001 certified and has won many local, state, and federal awards for its innovative, environmentally-friendly manufacturing and recycling practices. The company began selling products in Latin America in 2001. For further information, please visit www.kyocera-wireless.com.
Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO), the parent company and worldwide head office of Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these manufactured materials with metals and plastics through engineering, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunication equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cameras, laser printers, copying machines, mobile phones, solar energy systems, and industrial ceramics. For the year ending March 31st, 2006, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled approximately 10 billion US dollars (1,181,489 million yen) with a net profit of approximately 596 million US dollars (69,696 million yen).
© Kyocera Wireless Corp. All rights reserved. Kyocera is a registered trademark of Kyocera Corporation. Slider Jet and Slider Ice are trademarks of Kyocera Wireless Corp. CDMA2000 is a trademark of TIA USA. BREW is a registered trademark of Qualcomm, Inc. All the other marks are held by their respective owners.
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