Russian smartphone maker Yota Devices has unveiled the second iteration of its dual-screen YotaPhone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Like its predecessor, the YotaPhone 2 has a traditional smartphone display on the front and an e-ink display (similar to that used on a Kindle e-reader) on the back. The e-ink display is always on, allowing the user to receive notifications and other important information, even when the primary screen is in standby mode.
The YotaPhone 2 is slightly bigger than the previous version, with a 5-inch AMOLED display replacing the 4.3-inch LCD display of the original YotaPhone. This is intended for watching videos, playing games, viewing photos and browsing the internet.
Meanwhile, the 4.7-inch e-ink display on the back is now fully touch-responsive. (Previously the user had to tap and swipe a panel under the display to flick between screens.) This means that users can immediately respond to emails and texts, accept and decline meeting invites and post to social media without having to wake up and activate the colour display.
The YotaPhone 2 also comes with a Smart Power Mode so users can turn off the energy-consuming colour screen and perform functions like making and answering phone calls on the always-on display to preserve battery life. YotaPhone delivers over 50 hours of battery life when reading on the always-on display.
“YotaPhone’s arrival on the market last year marked one of the first game changers in smartphones in many years. Yota Devices proved that there is an antidote to the always-dark smartphone screen,” said Yota Devices CEO Vlad Martynov.
“The future of smartphones is always-on displays allowing users to stay connected without turning off the real world and disrupting the people around you. Now, with two full-touch displays, the next generation YotaPhone is twice as smart, twice as useful and twice as beautiful.”
The next generation YotaPhone includes a Qualcomm quad-core 800 series processor, wireless charging, near-field communications (NFC), advanced anti-theft protection and integrated hands-free audio (IHF). It will be on sale in Europe and Russia in Q4 2014, and a version for the US and Asian markets will follow three-four months later.
Yota Devices will soon be announcing an upgrade programme for consumers who purchased the first generation YotaPhone to be able to receive the next generation at a significant discount.
Full Specs
- 5 inches of AMOLED Screen with Multi Touch Capability, (1280 x 1080p),
- 4.7 inches of rear screen with EPD Full Touch capability, (960 x 540p),
- 2.3Ghz of Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor,
- 2GB RAM,
- Internal memory of 32GB,
- 4G LTE Capability,
- 8MP of Rear Facing Camera with LED Flash,
- 2MP of front facing camera,
- 144 x 69.5 x 8.9 mm; Weight – 140g,
- KitKat 4.4 Android OS,
- FM Radio, 3.5mm headset audio jack,
- 2550mAh of Battery Life,
- Black & White color options
The price of the next generation Yota Phone 2 is not yet revealed yet as shortly as it’s available, we will keep you posted for the same.
