Cricket Launches Rugged Kyocera Hydro Plus

Cricket Communications announced this week that it is diving headfirst back into the waterproof smartphone market. In doing so, the company is renewing its partnership with Kyocero in launching the Kyocera Hydro Plus. The Hydro Plus is just the latest in the line of waterproof Android phones that is built to withstand more wear and tear than other smartphones currently on the market.

A new group in the smartphone market, usually referred to as “ruggedized” has been slowly but surely gaining steam over the last few years. As the prices of smartphones continue to climb, people are finding that they want a handset that can withstand being dropped or getting water on it. Cricket is offering the Hydro Plus for a no-contract price of $139.99, which means users will already be saving some serious cash for a phone that can take a licking and keep on ticking.

The newest Kyocera phone comes equipped with the Cricket Muve Music service and a 4GB microSDTM memory card. The phone can also have its memory expanded up to 32GB. The phone is available right now at most Cricket outlets.

"Our active customers will love that they can have all their favorite features on the affordable, waterproof Hydro Plus without having to change how they live their lives,” said Matt Stoiber, senior vice president of devices for Cricket in a statement announcing the new handset. “Our new Muve Music 4.0 allows people to carry their favorite music with them while on the go, discovering and downloading new music right from their home screens."

The Hydro plus is just the latest in the line of ruggedized phones. People who don’t want to go out and get a brand new phone are turning to other solutions, such as cases that are specifically built to protect the phone from extreme environments. For those who are looking for a phone instead of a protective case, customers can attach the Hydro Plus to one of three different service plans for as little as $50 per month.