Kyocera's affordable waterproof LTE-enabled Hydro Icon announced for Boost Mobile

Interested in a waterproof smartphone, but don't want to splurge on the Galaxy S5? Kyocera's Hydro Icon may just be the device you're looking for. Announced for Boost Mobile, the Hydro Icon will be available from June 17th for $149.99 off-contract.

The Icon slots in alongside the Hydro Vibe that was announced earlier this year for Sprint and Virgin Mobile. Here's a look at the key specs of the device:

• 4.5-inch qHD capacitive, impact-resistant touchscreen display
• 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core CPU
• Compatibility with Power Matters Alliance (PMA) wireless chargers
• 8 GB of internal memory, expandable to 32GB with microSD
• 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and video camera; 2-megapixel front camera
• IP57 certified: dustproof, up to 1m of submersion in water for up to 30 minutes
• 3G/4G LTE/Enhanced LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, NFC and micro-USB 2.0 connectivity
• 2,000 mAh battery bundled with Eco-Mode and MaxiMZR power-management utilities
• Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

In addition to the water and dustproof abilities, the Hydro Icon features a Military Standard 810G design that allows it to absorb shocks and the occasional tumble. For $149, the smartphone has a loaded feature-set, considering it comes with LTE connectivity and wireless charging, which are usually not found in devices in this category. There isn't a landing page on Boost Mobile for the Hydro Icon yet, but one should be live by the time the device launches on June 17th.

What do you think of the Hydro Icon? Do you think it is a viable competitor to the likes of the Moto G?