Russian revolution: YotaPhone 2 double-screen JANUS MOBE

The more touchscreen smartphones find homes, the more the world is cluttered with uniform, conformist devices. No matter who designs them or who makes them, they all look pretty much the same. Interesting decorative design can be found in abundance but true innovation is a rare bird. Yotaphone 2 dual-display Android smartphone …

[Voland's right hand]

It is a pity I recently updated the "fleet"

This is one phone I would have loved to have. Unfortunately, when I looked to update the "fleet" a month ago frm the post-X-mas fire sales it was not available neither on Amazon, nor elsewhere.

Pity - I like the concept.

[dogged]

Re: It is a pity I recently updated the "fleet"

I wonder if you could get one without the AMOLED.

Honestly, this really does seem to beg the question - "do I need a fancy screen or would I rather recharge once a week?"

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: It is a pity I recently updated the "fleet"

I have a fancy screen (Sammy S3) and recharge once every 4-6 days, depending on usage.) But there again, I don't use the thing as a social crutch.

[Tapeador]

Re: " I don't use the thing as a social crutch"

How does anyone use a phone as a social crutch, of all things, a way that drains the battery more than the way you use your phone? How does that work? Do you mean communicating with people through the phone? How is that bad?

[Teiwaz]

Re: " I don't use the thing as a social crutch"

Social crutch - meh, to many people these days seem to be looking at their phones every minute or so.

Social crotch - way more worrying, and what's more, people do!

[Richard Taylor 2]

Re: " I don't use the thing as a social crutch"

Well with my data plan (effectively unlimited), I tether my mobile and also use it as a very effective digital radio in the car for much of my driving and through headphones when on the train. All drains the battery without much in the way of crocheting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: It is a pity I recently updated the "fleet"

I leave my mobile phone at home on charge all the time, it never runs out of power. I don't bother with a SIM card either, that way I don't get any of those nuisance calls I keep hearing about.

[Michael Wojcik]

Re: It is a pity I recently updated the "fleet"

Well, as soon as I buy a phone, I smash it with a hammer and bury it in the backyard. No battery life problems yet!

Personally, I'd like a phone with just an e-Ink screen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and removable battery. Must have SD slot. I haven't needed dual-SIM yet, but you never know, so include that too. Give it a full set of Bluetooth capabilities, not this half-assed collection that my current phone has. No crap add-on software from the manufacturer. Might as well make it rugged and waterproof, too.

What, no manufacturer wants to make a phone just for me? Bastards.

[theOtherJT]

Re: It is a pity I recently updated the "fleet"

Good question. I recently got a Z3 compact - not in small part because of how good the battery life is - a completely e-ink (or whatever this screen tech actually is) phone would be quite appealing, especially as a work "on call" device.

[Anonymous Coward]

no sd slot, no removable battery, 550 quid

not interested.

[Anonymous Coward]

Interesting tech, months of battery life, usable in direct sunlight.

interested.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: no sd slot, no removable battery, 550 quid

My thoughts precisely.

I like the concept, but the asking price is comfortably over the 'taking the piss' line and accelerating fast.

[Paul Shirley]

Re: no sd slot, no removable battery, 550 quid

£550 buys a lot of external battery packs for a basically £300 phone. That's a high price for convenience.

[Cliff]

Re: no sd slot, no removable battery, 550 quid

Very interested, right up until the £555 bit - I've been watching their site and it's not getting any cheaper. £399 I'd go for, still a premium over the mid-range hardware that the rest of the phone is, but not priced as top-end almost Note 4 EDGE prices.

[werdsmith]

Re: no sd slot, no removable battery, 550 quid

"£399 I'd go for,"

It will be cheaper than that in a few short months after launch.

[AIBailey]

"nor is it particularly compact..."

"...at 145 x 69.5 x 90mm."

Crikey, that's got to be the understatement of the year!

[Simon Harris]

Re: "nor is it particularly compact..."

"...at 145 x 69.5 x 90mm."

With those dimensions, I'd expect a display on all 6 sides!

[Michael Wojcik]

Re: "nor is it particularly compact..."

With those dimensions, I'd expect a display on all 6 sides!

You can have your phone cube.¹. My Tetrahedron Phone uses 2/3 of the battery power and provides more screens than I can view at once, and it's the envy of Dungeons & Dragons fans the world over.

I admit it's not the most comfortable thing to have in my pocket, but on the plus side everyone I meet thinks I'm happy to see them.

¹OK, fine, "rectangular prism".

[squigbobble]

Re: "nor is it particularly compact..."

On the plus side I can work out how much space it'll take up by putting my fist in my pocket, it's about the same cross-section.

[DropBear]

I'm very interested actually - or rather, I would be if the price was sane. As it is, I'll probably get one of these when the YotaPhone 5 comes out.

[PhilipN]

I have one

Love it.

Incidentally works very well as a phone

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I have one

Incidentally works very well as a phone

That is very good to know since it is a phone. A pity most phone reviews miss out the rather vital bit of information.

[Solmyr ibn Wali Barad]

Re: I have one

Ah, but we're talking about a perceivably non-cool part. Phone calls? Pah. That's so last century.

If many phone designers tend to neglect it, then we cannot really blame poor reviewers for following the trend.

[GregC]

Re: I have one

In fairness, this was actually mentioned in the review:

All the ancillaries like the cameras and speakers (and yes, the phone bit) do a fine job

[Arnold Lieberman]

Coming to a phone near you...

Usual disclaimer about having no connection with anything in the link, I came across this after the last article on Yotaphone...

http://www.everbuying.net/product742029.html

[sorry, what?]

Re: Coming to a phone near you...

That is an interesting option, but then you have to carry two devices (yes, one can be integrated into the case for the other, but not ideal, and I'm sure limited in terms of the mobile you want to use it with that way) and have to remember to charge both. Eventually.

For me, the integrated second screen is a far better idea. I'd love to see the phone using a more modern e-Ink display, smaller (I like the "mini" sized devices myself), supporting mini/micro SD, dual SIMs, a swappable battery and being a bit cheaper.

[Nifty]

Re: Coming to a phone near you...

r.e.

"Usual disclaimer about having no connection with anything in the link, I came across this after the last article on Yotaphone..."

http://www.everbuying.net/product742029.html

Which dumps you on the websites home page?

[DainB]

Wht's the point really ?

Who in their right mind will be willfully using e-ink screen if you can flip it over and use normal one ? Especially taking into account fact that you won't see anything on e-ink screen in the dark and will have to use LCD.

And battery life is not so great if you want use it as a phone or for Internet access, you'll still be charging it overnight.

So again what's the point ?

[PleebSmash]

Re: Wht's the point really ?

YotaPhone 3: Paperwhite Edition

[Andy Nugent]

Re: Wht's the point really ?

Guess it comes into it's own in warmer countries, but being able to quickly scroll through a news feed and send the articles you want to read to the eInk screen for reading while sat out side in the sun seems pretty useful.

Being able to see notifications without powering up a full HD colour screen, when most of the time you'll be dismissing/ignoring them.

Being able to put useful information (e.g. boarding passes) on the rear screen (and have them stay their after a shutdown) when the battery is dying seems handy as well.

Just a couple off the top of my head.

[Angol]

Re: Wht's the point really ?

"its" not "it's"

[king of foo]

English, as taught by a Scot

It's = it has or it is

If substituting "has" or "is" for the apostrophe doesn't make sense then don't use the apostrophe!

Grammar; it's really confusing because it's got lots of strange rules hidden up its sleeve.

[Michael Wojcik]

Re: English, as taught by a Scot

Grammar; it's really confusing because it's got lots of strange rules hidden up its sleeve.

Usage: It's really confusing, and it's often mistaken for grammar.

[Glenturret Single Malt]

Re: Wht's the point really ?

Wrong.

"Its" is an exception to the rule about the possessive having an apostrophe.

"It's" means "It is".

[sorry, what?]

Re: Wht's the point really ?

A key usage, for the traveller, is to display your electronic boarding pass on the e-ink screen and leave it there until on the aircraft. Avoids problems with having to turn on the phone, unlock the screen etc. and perhaps will scan better than some led screens.

[DainB]

Re: Wht's the point really ?

Really ? That's an expensive tool to tackle "problem" of unlocking phone screen. Here's another, free one - don't lock it.

[Tapeador]

Re: Wht's the point really ?

Oh I can see the point, I just can't see the point that would justify the £350 extra people have to spend on this phone. It's probably targeted at the children of Moscow kleptocrats.

[Badvok]

Re: Wht's the point really ?

Well since Apple have already patented having both displays overlaying each other they must see some mileage in it (it being extended battery life), just a pity that rules out anyone else doing it 'the nice way' rather than the Yota-way.

[Archivist]

Re: Wht's the point really ?

There are some of us who come out of our dark basements (or IT rooms) and enjoy the light.

[Michael Wojcik]

Re: Wht's the point really ?

Who in their right mind will be willfully using e-ink screen if you can flip it over and use normal one ?

I was going to ask the same question about the color screen.

I need a color display on my phone just as much as I need color cover illustrations on paperback books: everyone provides one, but I'll be damned if I see any benefit to me.

[PleebSmash]

we can do it

We now have the technology to watch Top Gear on a grayscale e-ink display.

[Simon Harris]

Re: we can do it

... and on that bombshell...

[Tapeador]

Russians

Haven't got the hang of this whole business thing yet - of creating things that sell for little enough that people want to buy them in significant enough numbers to cover your costs. Although the country has quite a few brain-dead folk who'll happily pay tends of thousands for diamond-encrusted Nokias, maybe that's the target market.

Oh well, back to selling oil instead of running an industrial economy. Oh wait...

[Destroy All Monsters]

Re: Russians

Are you the newly minted commentard who has been tasked to tell us that all things Russian are shit?

Clown.

[Sam Liddicott]

£555

£555 - all the 5's except android 5.

[James 51]

I wonder if there is an e-ink other half for the jolla phone.

[Piro]

90mm thick?

Goodness me, that's a pocket breaker!

[CCCP]

Re: 90mm thick?

Uhm, 90mm would be a challenge in a lot of places, not just pockets...

[Alan Denman]

You get what you pay for.........

shame about it buying two lots of ARMs.

Food for thought.

[Nifty]

This will go down in Wikipedia as the pioneer phone before all phones had an e-ink back.

It will be a given like a touch screen. But of course with slimmed down form factor as technology improves.

That Apple , with its $billions cash pile did not innovate this first just shows how a black swan can sail past entrenched competition.

[Graham Perrin]

Meanings of Janus, JANUS MOBE and Janus One

Was JANUS (uppercase) an acronym for something mobile-related?

Or was it a reference to Janus, the two-faced ancient Roman god of beginnings and transitions?

There's also Janus One (comparable to Light Phone) but this February 2015 article in The Register appears to predate the KickStarter projects for both Light Phone and Janus One – and Janus One has one face.