Two-faced YotaPhone 2 smartphone launches in the UK, priced at £555

[Himanshu Arora]

Nearly ten months after unveiling it at this year's Mobile World Congress, the company behind the YotaPhone, an Android smartphone with dual displays, has finally launched the second-generation YotaPhone and it is now available in the UK for £555 (approximately US $870).

The YotaPhone 2 runs Android 4.4 KitKat and sports a Snapdragon 800 processor, a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED screen on one side and a 4.7-inch e-ink touch screen on the other, 2GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal memory (but no expansion slot), 8-megapixel rear camera, 2.1MP front-facing camera, and a 2,500mAh battery with Qi wireless charging support.

The e-ink display, which is based on a technology similar to the one used in e-books, consumes less power than the color touch screen, and has the ability to permanently show a piece of static content without drawing any power. In addition, the black-and-white display isn’t much of a strain on the eyes, something that is really beneficial for those prone to headaches.

Connectivity options include LTE (Cat. 4, 150Mbps downlink), Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, A-GPS + GLONASS, and microUSB 2.0 with SlimPort.

According to Yota’s CEO, the smartphone consumes far less energy compared to its market counterparts (sans the second screen) and can work for around five consecutive days in ‘read’ mode on a single charge. There's also an ‘economical’ energy mode that allows the device to work up to two days on a single charge, with most of the standard features like calling, texting, and reading emails available.

The YotaPhone 2 is set to become available in 20 European countries before the end of the year, followed by China and the rest of Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. The company hasn't yet announced plans for entering the US market.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/59065-two-faced-yotaphone-2-smartphone-launches.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

We wouldn't need or want all this excessive, expensive crap if the powers that be would just release batteries that feature the next gen hype that we've all been hearing about for the last decade or more.

 

[madboyv1]

I actually like the idea of that e-ink display, but I too would like to see more advanced batteries. The popular push for more efficient software/hardware is great and all, but it's in the guise to pack more performance in the device rather than increasing batterylife...

 

[cliffordcooley]

I'm convinced the two displays could be integrated together and toggled between them. If you are not looking at photos or videos, an eReader display is all that is needed?

 

[Guest]

I love e-ink displays as they are very easy on the eyes, like an actual book.

@ cliffordcooleyds: E-ink screens aren't yet responsive enough. For example when the video shows zooming in and out of Google maps, it looks laggy (that's the display itself being sluggish).

 

[cliffordcooley]

For example when the video shows zooming in and out of Google maps, it looks laggy (that's the display itself being sluggish).

I thought I excluded photos and videos from the eReader display usage. Not everyone needs high frame rates or color for that matter on their phone 24/7.

 

[Guest]

@ cliffordcooley: Right, however I meant you can't just toggle between them... that'd be like toggling between TN and IPS Panels. Color e-ink has already been done, as well as toggling backlight on an off, but picture and color accuracy is far from perfect. And it will still have the same response and refresh rate limitations as a regular black and white e-ink screen. What you suggest is the best of both worlds, we both know it will come to fruition eventually, but right now it is not possible.

 

[Scshadow]

Two faced phone for a two faced generation of human beings... perfect.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Two faced or split personality complexes?

 

[Kibaruk]

We wouldn't need or want all this excessive, expensive crap if the powers that be would just release batteries that feature the next gen hype that we've all been hearing about for the last decade or more.

That's not the point of the double display. Not by a longshot. IT's a nice sell point but this is only one of the features. Also don't talk for me "we" is a lot of people, I would really love that excessive with expensive crap phone.

I'm convinced the two displays could be integrated together and toggled between them. If you are not looking at photos or videos, an eReader display is all that is needed?

That would need to have two screens one behind the other, I'm not sure it would work very well. Also I'm pretty sure they had to make and code an interface that would convert the screen image to an actual e-ink reader screen, it's not as simple as to switch from one display to the other and expect everything to work very well.

Two faced phone for a two faced generation of human beings... perfect.

Lots to say about new tech and you come with phylosophical bullcra... gtfo please.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

That's not the point of the double display. Not by a longshot. IT's a nice sell point but this is only one of the features. Also don't talk for me "we" is a lot of people, I would really love that excessive with expensive crap phone.


That would need to have two screens one behind the other, I'm not sure it would work very well. Also I'm pretty sure they had to make and code an interface that would convert the screen image to an actual e-ink reader screen, it's not as simple as to switch from one display to the other and expect everything to work very well.


Lots to say about new tech and you come with phylosophical bullcra... gtfo please.

I have to speak for you son, I'm afraid you might convince yourself that you need to waste your hard earned cabbage on something you may perceive as revolutionary but in fact is nothing more than a flash in the pan. Don't worry my boy, I've got your six, just follow your Uncle Skids advice and you can't go wrong.

 

[Arris]

QI wireless charging, through a screen. Hmm. I guess it must be through the e-ink display, can't say the heat generated can be much good for a display.

 

[Kibaruk]

I have to speak for you son, I'm afraid you might convince yourself that you need to waste your hard earned cabbage on something you may perceive as revolutionary but in fact is nothing more than a flash in the pan. Don't worry my boy, I've got your six, just follow your Uncle Skids advice and you can't go wrong.

No thank you, put your efforts into something else, I don't need someone saying "we" when he means just his opinion, grandpa.

Also and again, it's only your opinion. Go take a nap.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

No thank you, put your efforts into something else, I don't need someone saying "we" when he means just his opinion, grandpa.

Also and again, it's only your opinion. Go take a nap.

Okay I took your advice. You see, I'm not proud, If I think I'm getting good advice I take heed, I took a nap just as you suggested. Now that I'm fully awake again I did some pondering and came to the conclusion that you need sage advice so allow me,
1. If you don't like or agree with comments made by others on the forums, don't criticize them by adding your 2 cents, you are better served by ignoring them and they'll be more tolerant of you.
2. If it's in your nature to wantonly criticize then be sure it's constructive otherwise people will tend to take you at face value.
3. With age comes wisdom (for some admittedly) so never think you know it all, someone will always know better than you (there's no exception to that rule).
4. While bashing manufacturers and products is usually harmless because they're inanimate object and have no feelings but bashing people people is rude and shows up your insecurity by trying to dominate them, also it shows of bad upbringing and you don't want people to think you were badly brought up now do you?
5. You hit the nail on the head in the first part of your sentence in you riposte to me by saying "it's my opinion", it's just that, my opinion, I'm entitled to it equally as much as you're entitled to yours.
In case you haven't fully understood what I've said above let me simplify by summarising
If you don't like what I have to say, ignore it, my feelings won't be hurt I promise.

 

[Kibaruk]

@Skidmarksdeluxe if you would be so kind as to read my original post, I don't see anything like you described, thanks for the tip though.

All I did say, was don't talk for me, to me it looks awesome, it's not just for the battery although it's a nice sell point. So, if anything did bother me from your post was the "we" part, if you talk YOUR opinion, talk about YOURs and not "OUR" opinion, thanks.