Kyocera's DuraForce PRO Android Smartphone Doubles As A Full HD Action Camera

Smartphone maker Kyocera has announced the DuraForce PRO, a rugged Android smartphone that also doubles as an HD action camera. Kyocera is already known for building waterproof and dust-proof devices, but the DuraForce PRO steps it up a notch by including a GoPro-like camera on the device itself.

The new handset has an IP68 certification which means that it is waterproof up to 30 minutes when immersed into 2 meters of water. The phone’s body is Military Standard 810G certified which means the device is protected against dust, shock, vibration, salt fog, humidity and extreme temperatures.

The DuraForce PRO comes with a 13-megapixel camera at the back and it is equipped with a 135-degree field of view wide-angle lens. The camera is capable of capturing full HD 1080p video. Also, the software included with the camera allows users to enable camera modes for action, sports, slow-motion and underwater.

"Kyocera's new DuraForce PRO provides consumers and businesses with industry-leading rugged technology and is the only rugged smartphone with a built-in high-definition action camera, enabling users to stay connected and capture the content they love no matter the circumstance or environment," Kyocera’s senior VP of sales Chuck Becher said.

Kyocera also announced that it will be releasing a phone case for the DuraForce PRO that would make it compatible with popular action camera mounts. The company is basically trying to convince people to pick up the DuraForce PRO instead of a GoPro. The device is enticing, considering that it is both an action camera and an Android Marshmallow-running smartphone.

As for the device’s other specifications, the DuraFore PRO comes with a 5-inch 1080p full HD display, a Snapdragon 617 chipset with a 1.5GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The device also has a 3,240 mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 2.0 and wireless charging, according to GSMArena.

Kyocera has not given a release date for the DuraForce PRO, but it did say that it will be arriving in the United States “in the coming months.” Likewise, pricing for the device has not yet been revealed as well.