Introducing... The Echo

Kyocera's deputy general manager of corporate communications of the equipment group Junzo Katsuki (L) and Sprint CEO Dan Hesse (R) flank the Kyocera Echo as it gets rolled out onto the stage at an event in New York. Hesse and Katsuki emphasized the longstanding partnership between Kyocera and Sprint. The Echo is the first smartphone from Kyocera offered on Sprint's network.

Sprint Vice President for Device Operations Fared Adib shows the dual touch screen's ability to act as a single display, as on a mini-tablet. Adib said Sprint sees the Echo as a separate class of device rather than an "in-between."

Sprint Vice President for Device Operations Fared Adib holding the Echo, showing its size. Adib said remaining pocket-sized rather than going larger (as the Dell Streak did) was important to the company.

The Echo in the hand of a Sprint representative, showing the phone in single-screen mode. Even with the ability to operate as a tablet, the Echo is still a mobile phone, and retains the form factor common to the rest of the industry.

While Sorint did not generate the buzz that the Verizon iPhone did, among the enthusiasts at the launch event it got plenty of attention. The next step for Sprint will be to create -- or have a third-party developer create -- the 'killer app' that makes use of the dual screen in a way that other phone makers can't match.