YotaPhone 2 e-paper dual-screen phone going on sale in the UK

The original YotaPhone was one of the coolest smartphones of last year, with a unique e-paper screen built into the back of the phone. Yota announced a follow-up device last year, the YotaPhone 2, and now it’s finally going on sale in the UK.

Like the original, the YotaPhone 2 excels in situations where the rear e-paper display can come into play. You can read books while using minimal battery power, just like you would on a Kindle, but you can also swap to the LCD for more regular smartphone stuff whenever you want. When the rear display isn’t running a particular app, it shows notifications and helpful information like the time, date and temperature. If you use just the e-ink side you’ll get about five days of battery life; for mixed use you can expect between one-and-a-half and two days.

The YotaPhone 2 is a good deal more powerful this time around, and is about equal to a flagship phone from late last year. That includes a Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, LTE, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a highly customised version of Android 4.4.3. The chassis is wrapped with Gorilla Glass 3 on both sides and incorporates a healthy 3500 mAh battery; despite this the phone is relatively light and svelte at 145 grams and 8.95mm, respectively. The curved chassis is reportedly quite comfortable in-hand, too. Finally, the YotaPhone 2 includes a rare nicety: wireless charging, using standard Qi wireless charging pads.

The YotaPhone 2 will cost around $600 when it launches in Russia; it’s not yet clear what the price will be in the UK. Yota are reportedly selling the phone in a pop-up store in London this week, so we should find out shortly. The YotaPhone 2 should make it to Canada and Latin America early next year, too.

Here at Mobile Fun, we’re preparing for the launch of the phone with our new Yotaphone 2 category. As well as Qi chargers, we’ll have a range of YotaPhone 2 cases, chargers, screen protectors and other essentials. Look for the announcement of new arrivals over the coming weeks and months, depending on the popularity and availability of the phone.

What do you think of the YotaPhone 2? Let us know in the comments below, or write to us on Twitter @mobilefun. Thanks for checking out the article and have a good week ahead!