Sprint And Kyocera To Partner For New Smartphone (S, KYO)

Sprint S is to announce a new Kyocera KYO smartphone to its cellular lineup at an event in New York tonight Bloomberg reports. The device will be called Echo and will run Google's GOOG Android mobile operating platform according to anonymous sources. Sprint and Kyocera both declined to comment on the story. Sprint already carries several devices from Kyocera under the Sanyo brand. Sprint is looking to remain competitive in the burgeoning smart phone market as the Apple AAPL iPhone is about to be released on competitor Verizon's VZ network. Sprint will announce the device at an event touted as an industry first. The mobile operator rented space in New York's Times Square and will feature popular street magician David Blaine. Sprint is currently trading up four cents to $4.44 and Kyocera trading almost even at $108.00.