News - The YotaPhone smartphone combines LCD and e-ink displays

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Time magazine gets a hands-on with this innovative new smartphone at CES.

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Read more.

"Yota Devices thought this would be a good way to display useful reminders, graphics and notifications on a smartphone."

...on the back? Handy if you like to rest your phone on a table with the screen facing downwards though I suppose.

"Send a still of any screen to the e-ink display on the back by dragging the length of the display with two fingers (e.g. an aeroplane boarding pass)"

But if you've already got the image up on the main screen anyway to swipe it over to the back screen.. why not just turn your phone around to face them? It takes as little time and effort as swiping the screen to switch it to the rear one.

I just don't see the point of this tbh. Also a screen on each side makes cases/protective covers a pain.

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Originally Posted by BiblicalShower

...on the back? Handy if you like to rest your phone on a table with the screen facing downwards though I suppose.

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Both my current phone and the previous one would automatically switch to mute if you placed them face down. So if the YP does this as well then perhaps the eInk screen would give you the ability to check emails/notifications without annoying anyone else and saving power (because the eInk display would take power only when you get a new item).

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Originally Posted by BiblicalShower

("Send a still of any screen to the e-ink display on the back by dragging the length of the display with two fingers (e.g. an aeroplane boarding pass)") But if you've already got the image up on the main screen anyway to swipe it over to the back screen.. why not just turn your phone around to face them? It takes as little time and effort as swiping the screen to switch it to the rear one.

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This device was covered in this week's BBC Click, and the Yota rep pointed out that this would be ideal if you phone was running out of power. His example was if you had a Google Map image on the main screen you could send it to the eInk screen and still be able to use it when you ran out of power. Sure it's a niche use, but one I can see the point of.
Don't eInk screens tend to deal with bright sunlight better than LCD/OLED? In which case sending a map to that screen might make it easier to read?

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Originally Posted by BiblicalShower

I just don't see the point of this tbh. Also a screen on each side makes cases/protective covers a pain.

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Can't see how the extra screen screws up cases, as all you need to do is mod your case design to include a perspex panel over the eInk screen. From what I've seen elsewhere that screen isn't touch sensitive, so all you need to be able to do is be able to see it. Sure the resulting case might be a bit flimsy, but it's certainly doable.

Getting back to the article, I'm in agreement that the obvious use for that second screen has to be for eBooks.

It's a very tough market for a new maker to break, and I applaud them for coming up with this - I like the idea and can see plenty of uses for that eInk display (having bought my wife a Kindle for her birthday last year, I can really appreciate the benefits of eInk, where I was quite skeptical before having seen it in the flesh!). Whether the rest of the phone does enough to keep up with the competition remains to be seen, and could be the biggest sticking point. For what will probably be a premium price, it really needs to be a premium product all round!

I read it as YodaPhone for some reason!! :p

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Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH

I read it as YodaPhone for some reason!! :p

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I kept writing YodaPhone for some reason... :)

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Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH

I read it as YodaPhone for some reason!! :p

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That's next years (gaming oriented) model with force feedback. :mrgreen:

Sorry, couldn't resist.

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Originally Posted by crossy

That's next years (gaming oriented) model with force feedback. :mrgreen:

Sorry, couldn't resist.

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Groan...

To be honest the e-ink screen is a bit odd but it's a good idea for notifications, etc and adds another aspect of customisation / personalisation. Loving that very Russian font on the clock too.

Really interesting, and I can think of a ton of applications off the top of my head for it!

The screen is generally the most power hungry part of any smartphone, so stuff like maps/reading definitely make sense.

As for boarding passes, it would be good to just have it on the back screen rather than panic last minute fumbling through apps/emails to find it. Also, the e-ink display is probably compatible with barcode readers.

As for cases, you could have the phone sitting in between two covers, like a book, held in by a frame. You heard it here first! :P

That back e-ink display would be perfect for some triggers for games

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Originally Posted by mtyson

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Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH

I read it as YodaPhone for some reason!! :p

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I kept writing YodaPhone for some reason... :)

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He says "so this is the YodaPhone..." at 1:20. Power of suggestion! LOL :)))

I think that's quite cool actually.

Another one here who thinks this is actually really quite neat! Biggest gripe with smart phones is the battery life and this is a really innovative way to try and boost it!

Phone & ebook in one is great as well!