The first time we discussed the YotaPhone was back in December 2012, and the concept still intrigues us. Placing a secondary e-ink display on the back allows you to check messages and notifications without draining the battery, a major weak point of all mobile devices. The first YotaPhone had limited availability, but this time its creators believe the second generation can cross the pond with a little crowdfunding.
It's increasingly difficult for mobile device manufacturers to launch a product that is "different" from the rest. Competition is ruthless, new players are knocked down almost immediately, and if something specific manages to slip through, it probably has to face lawsuits based on dubious patents. Crowdfunding mechanisms have allowed us access to devices that would never see the light of day if they were in the hands of the big names. One of the most compelling examples is Pebble Time, which raised $20 million thanks to the support of nearly 80,000 people. Needless to say, launching a smartphone is much more complicated. Even Canonical couldn't make the Ubuntu Edge with $12 million under its belt, but others are having better luck, such as the YotaPhone 2.
Technically, the YotaPhone 2 is already available on the market. So why is this smartphone from Russia so interesting? The mystery comes down to its secondary e-ink display. Smartphone touchscreens have drastically increased their resolution, and while we can't ignore the power optimizations, the truth is we don't need a 1080p resolution and 16.7 million colors to read a news article, an email, or a WhatsApp conversation. The YotaPhone 2 promises five days of battery life when reading on the secondary screen, and two days of basic smartphone use (this will depend on the intensity of use). Its specs include a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC at 2.2 GHz, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, two cameras (8 and 2.1 MP), and a complete connectivity package (WiFi ac, BT 4.0, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, quad-band GSM, and LTE). The main display is five inches with 1080p resolution, while the e-ink alternative comes in at 4.7 inches with a resolution of 960 by 540 pixels.
In less than 24 hours, the YotaPhone 2 doubled its $50,000 goal on Indiegogo, and with two months still to go, everything suggests the demand will be much higher. The first hundred units at the special $500 price sold out almost immediately, and now you have to pay at least $525. The list of countries where the YotaPhone 2 can be shipped is quite long (Spain appears there), but Latin America is left out of the campaign, apparently due to an exclusivity agreement with América Móvil. First deliveries are expected in August.
