Kyocera Corporation today announced that its ultra-rugged smartphones have been selected for use by Honda Racing Corporation while competing in the Dakar Rally 2016 motorbike category.

Kyocera is a world-leader in rugged mobile devices and will provide commercially available Android™ smartphones as a technical partner to Team HRC for telemetry and communication in this year’s race, which takes place Jan. 3-16 and will traverse grueling environments across Argentina and Bolivia.

The famous Dakar Rally originated in 1979 and is a long-distance rally raid that covers various off-road environments including deserts, jungles and mountainous areas. In January 2016, top drivers and riders will leave Buenos Aires, Argentina north through Bolivia and back down to the finish line in Rosario, Argentina.

“The Dakar Rally isn’t just the ultimate test of our vehicles, it’s a test for every piece of equipment we use. We’re confident knowing that Kyocera’s mobile devices will provide the durable and reliable wireless communication that’s absolutely vital to our competitiveness in the race,” said Taichi Honda, Team HRC Rally Project Leader.

Kyocera’s ruggedized mobile phones (http://www.kyoceramobile.com/) are available in North America, Latin America, Europe and Japan. Certified to a range of IP standards for waterproofing and numerous U.S. Military Standard 810G*1 profiles for toughness, they are made to survive and thrive in the harshest business environments and brave the elements in even the most extreme outdoor adventures.

“Kyocera is proud to support Team HRC in the Dakar Rally, but even more proud that the same products and technologies being used in this ultimate endurance race are available today to businesses and individuals around the world, enabling them to stay connected and productive at work and on the go no matter what challenges they face,” said Hiroyoshi Mori, Director of strategy and product division at Kyocera.

About KYOCERA
Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO)(TOKYO:6971) (http://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of mobile phones, solar power generating systems, printers, copiers, electronic components, semiconductor packages, cutting tools and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2015, the company’s net sales totaled 1.53 trillion yen (approx. USD12.7 billion). Kyocera appears on the latest listing of the “Top 100 Global Innovators” by Thomson Reuters, and is ranked #552 on Forbes magazine’s 2015 “Global 2000” listing of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.