This Android can go for a swim

I'm usually very careful with my cellphones, except for that time I left one outside for about six hours, overnight and in the rain. After its long bath, I dried the phone as thoroughly as I could. It carried on for a few days, but eventually stopped charging and I had it replaced.

If my phone had been the new Kyocera Hydro Edge, it would have toweled off and gotten back to work. At least that's what Sprint and Boost Mobile are saying about their latest Android offering. The phone has a waterproof rating of IPX5, which means it's good to go in the shower, in the rain, dropped in a puddle or even submerged in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes.

That's fresh water they're talking about, not saltwater, cola or a gin and tonic.

Also, the Hydro Edge is not a particularly rugged phone. It has a pop-up battery cover and a fairly ordinary plastic case. I don't know how they made everything waterproof.

Boost and Sprint have sold other waterproof phones from Kyocera, but this is the first time the carriers will offer one without a contract. The phone has a 1-GHz dual-core processor, a 4-inch scree, a 5-megapixel camera and the latest version of Android Jelly Bean 4.1.

For details on service plans, check Boost Mobile or Sprint.

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Written by Ric Manning

Follow me on Twitter @ricmanning and read my technology columns at My Well Being.