First Russian smartphone launched in Moscow

Russia's first smartphone, the YotaPhone, with two screens. Image: GSM Arena

The phone, which used Google's Android operating system and has a fixed price of €499 will be launched in December in Russia and Germany in stores and online in France, Spain and Austria.

"The device 'rethinks' the way users relate to a smartphone," said YotaPhone's general director, Vlad Martynov, who unveiled the device in a contemporary art gallery in Moscow.

As well as the full-colour touch screen standard on all smartphones, the YotaPhone has a black-and-white screen on its back using the same electronic ink technology that is use for reading devices such as Amazon's Kindle.

This extra, low-energy screen remains on all the time, even when the phone is switched off, allowing the user to check the time, messages, a schedule or a map without having to "wake up" the unit. This reduces the drain on the battery.

Following the December launch, the phone will go on sale in some other European countries, including Britain and Switzerland, and in the Middle East, including in Egypt.

The manufacturers say they have no plans to offer the phone to the Asia or the United States markets. Despite boasting a big pool of expert engineers and information technology specialists, no Russian company has so far been able to build a strong position with locally designed computers or mobile phones.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge