Kyocera announces consumer smartphone market exit

Kyocera found internet fame a few years ago with its Duraforce Ultra 5G and its "sapphire shield" display's ability to withstand the classic JerryRigEverything "scratches at a level 6, with deeper grooves at a level 7" phase of durability testing. Besides that, it lays claim to having been in the mobile phone industry, starting in its native Japan, since 1991, and to have released "the world's first handheld, wireless color videophone" in 1999 - not to mention the world's first connected laptop in 1983.

The OEM has clearly not been able to parley these achievements into substantial consumer mobile device sales, however. It has now indeed followed LG out of the space, citing a lack of "marketability", according to company president Hideo Tanimoto.

Kyocera has also reportedly incurred a loss of 2.27 billion yen (US$16.6 million) earlier in 2023. Therefore, it will be selling its line of rugged Android smartphones and flip phones to business customers, meaning that users such as frontline or construction workers might still have access to the devices they are accustomed to in 2023 and beyond.

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