The availability date for Kyocera’s much-anticipated dual-screen smartphone, the Echo, has finally been announced.

Mobile phone operator Sprint announced that the Echo would be available in Sprint stores as well as online, starting 17th of April, with a price tag of $199.99 accompanied by a two-year service contract.

Interest people will be able to start placing pre-orders for the phone on 26th of March.

The Echo, which was last month showcased by Kyocera and Sprint in a high-profile event in New York, features dual 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen displays that are capable of operating side-by-side independently or jointly using a 4.7-inch integrated display.

The upcoming device runs Google’s Android OS 2.2 (Froyo), and comes equipped with 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 1GB of onboard memory and an 8GB microSD card. Its 5MP rear-facing photo snapper comes with flash, autofocus, 720p camcorder and digital zoom.

The hinge that keeps the two screens together is made up of super copper alloy, a "liquid metal." Sprint claims that the smartphone is capable of withstanding drops from a height of up to seven feet.