Cricket's Kyocera Hydro Plus
With its 3.5-inch screen, Android 4.0 OS, and 3.2-megapixel camera, the water-resistant Kyocera Hydro Plus for Cricket Wireless is a prepaid handset that's competitively priced at $139.99.
Small and compact
Measuring 4.53 inches tall, 2.44 inches wide, and 0.5 inch thick, the Hydro Plus is an ultra-pocketable device that's easy to maneuver with one hand.
Waterproof ports up top
On the left is a volume rocker, and the top edge houses a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Micro-USB port for charging. To the right, you'll find a small sleep/power button.
Keeping everything sealed
The back is textured with a ribbed rubber coating that lends an extra sense of durability (though the handset is not a rugged phone). The back plate is secured by a small toggle lock to ensure that water does not seep in.
Splashing in the sink
Kyocera reports that you can submerge the Hydro Plus in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. I stuck it under running water several times, and finally dropped the handset into a tall vase after making sure all the ports were appropriately sealed. Through all these trials, the phone survived.
A low-resolution display
The 3.5-inch HVGA IPS screen has a 480x320-pixel resolution. The display has a narrow viewing angle, especially when seen in direct sunlight, and it appeared washed out when slightly tilted at any angle.
Remember Android 4.0?
The Hydro Plus runs on Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, which is a really dated OS version even for entry-level devices. You'll still get your standard lineup of Google apps, however, such as Chrome, Gmail, and Plus.
Perfect for music lovers
As a Cricket Wireless handset, the phone features Muve Music, a music subscription service tied to your carrier plan. Users can play and download to play offline thousands of artists and songs.