Kyocera Echo Pro Reviews

The million dollar question is: Are two screens better than one? The answer, in the form of the Kyocera Echo, is no. While the idea is interesting, and while it's true that studies have been done to prove that in the case of desktop computing, two displays are better than one, we can't make the same argument for smartphones. At least, not yet. There just weren't many situations while testing the Echo, where we thought "Gee whiz, doing is so much easier/faster because there are two displays!" The Echo is a prime example of a novel idea, but a poor execution. The device is ugly, thick, and heavy, and it feels underpowered. We'd love to see a company with more hardware experience, like Samsung or HTC, come to the table with their version of a dual-screened smartphone. With more power, a bigger focus on fit-and-finish, and maybe even a next-generation screen technology that would allow more versatility in design (we're thinking flexible AMOLED), we might finally have a reason to declare that two screens are better than one in a smartphone.

I used the phone for about two days as my main device, just to get a feel for how the battery would hold up. It’s hard to say how most people will use it, but I couldn’t help but pop it to dual-screen every time I wasn’t just checking the time. The Echo lasted throughout the day each time, from morning onward, though barely getting by towards mid-evening. Expect to take that complementary second battery with you, just in case.

So, what is there to say about the bottom line of this odd little duck? Well, to be frank, it’s more a toy than a phone. It works fine as a phone, but it seems to me that makes for a better mobile media/gaming device than a workhorse smartphone. But that isn’t all bad. If you definitely like the eclectic, like the idea of a larger screen when you need it and longer battery life when you don’t, the Echo gives you the best of both worlds. But if you want speed, higher performance from your camera and options like video chat, then it’s time to move on to a 4G phone with dual cameras, not dual screens.

All in all, we enjoyed our time with the Echo. Candy bar form factor phones are the norm these days, so it's nice to see something new and innovative every now and then. Although we don't expect the Kyocera Echo to revolutionize the way in which other manufactures design smartphones, it's nice to have options, and the Echo definitely provides a unique form factor and user experience that you won't get with other phones.

The Kyocera Echo is certainly one of most intriguing handsets to come along in recent memory. Do two screens make for a better handset? That really depends on your point of view. However, the ability to use different apps on the two different screens is an eye-opening step forward. The Echo is the first handset that can honestly and truly multitask, as far as I am concerned. The four modes of operation offer a wide range of ways to use the Echo that will certainly appeal to some folks out there. As more applications are developed to support the Optimized and Simul-Task modes, the Echo will only grow in is multitasking powers.

Aside from having a larger area for Web browsing, the Echo doesn't seem to benefit greatly from having two screens. Most of the time, the second screen on the Echo feels like a bit of a gimmick. A physical keyboard might have been a better use of the extra panel than a secondary display, and it would have made the phone more attractive for people who frequently text or e-mail. Couple that with the relatively outdated specs, and you have a phone that might offer more gimmick than utility. You may want to pass on the Echo in favor of a 4G or dual-core phone.

There is a lot to like about the Kyocera Echo, and the phone no doubt suffers from the “first” plague. We applaud Kyocera and Sprint for spurring innovation so we can’t be too hard on the Echo, and with the first dual-display device Kyocera has set the standard and done an admirable job. Once you get used to Simul-task it can be very helpful, tablet mode makes browsing the web a very pleasant experience and we hope to see many cool apps that will take advantage of the dual displays.

The Kyocera Echo makes the most of its two screens with the ability to run two apps at the same time, as well as special apps that leverage both displays.