Yota –  a dual display smartphone manufacturer, goes bankrupt as declared the Cayman Islands Supreme Court in a recent ruling. According to the local newspaper, Cayman Islands Gazette, Yota requested for liquidation per local laws a few days ago.

The court appointed FTI Consulting employees – David Griffin and Joshua James Taylor as the Joint Official Liquidators of the company. Yota creditors have 21 days to establish any title they may have under the Companies Law. Failing to comply with the order within the given time, the creditors will be excluded from any benefit or distribution made.

Hi-P Electronics, a Singaporean company and display supplier of Yota Phone also filed a lawsuit against the company for not fulfilling the subscription contract. After the initial settlement of $17 million, the Hi-P electronics still cites non-settlement of claims.

Yota Phone was established in 2011 to develop new generation modems, routers, smartphones. It was developed by the Russian telecommunications company Скартел and is licensed under the Yota trademark. They partnered with various companies to supply its network equipment before testing their hands in the smartphone market. The company’s Yota Phone – dual displays smartphone gave wings to Yota’s smartphone division. Later, Yota announced some more smartphones but failed to keep with the users’ aspirations.

• Read More: YotaPhone 3 is Official with $360 Pricing; Features Like Dual Screens, SD 625, 4 GB RAM

With a stake of over 50%, the Chinese Consortium including Trinity World Management and China Baoli has a controlling stake. Precisely, the Chinese Consortium holds more than 50% stake whereas the Telconet (company’s initial majority shareholder with 64.9% stake back in 2013) still has a stake of around 34.9%.

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Whenever there is a discussion about dual screen phones, what readily comes to mind is the Yotaphone series. Although Meizu utilized the same design on its latest flagship Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus, there are marked differences like the smaller-sized secondary display and the use of OLED on the rear instead of e-ink display panel. What you probably don’t know is that Chinese electronics manufacturer Hisense has got a phone with a screen design similar to Yotaphone. Hisense A2 has been in the market priced around 2,599 Yuan but the tech company has just unveiled its latest model dubbed Hisense A2 Pro. 

The Hisense A2 Pro features a 5.5-inch FHD AMOLED display with 2.5D curved glass at the front while there is a 5.2-inch e-ink display at the rear just like the latest Yota 3. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor backed by 4GB of RAM and there is 64GB of storage onboard. On the camera end, the device packs a 12MP Sony IMX386 sensor at the rear which should team up properly with the powerful processor to deliver a nice picture quality. The device equally sports a 16MP front camera which should ensure selfies are well-taken care of.

Read Also: Hisense H10 Now Official: 20MP Selfie Camera, Snapdragon 430 & ¥2299 ($339) Price

Further, the Hisense A2 Pro packs a decent 3,090mAh battery and has support for dual SIM cards/ dual standby. It comes with a fingerprint sensor which is located on the side of the device. The A2 Pro is already opened for booking on Jingdong and would go on sale on September 26. Unfortunately, there is no price tag attached to it just yet.

(source)

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Yotaphone 3 Design

The Yotaphone 3 has the same design language as its predecessors – a color display on one side and an e-ink display on the other side. But the dimensions and appearance have changed so you can say it is the same but different. In a nutshell, the Yotaphone 3 has ditched the small curvy form factor for a flatter and bigger body.

Yotaphone 3 Specifications

The AMOLED display is now bigger at 5.5-inches and is covered with Gorilla Glass 4. The secondary e-ink display has received some upgrades too. It’s now bigger at 5.2-inches and has a 720 x 1080 resolution. The bigger e-ink display should make reading a bit more comfortable.

The Yotaphone 3 comes with 4GB RAM standard and is paired with the Snapdragon 625 mobile platform. There is 64GB/128GB of storage with no expansion slot.

There is a single 12MP f/1.9 1.2um camera on the back of the phone positioned at the top left corner.  The front camera is a 13MP sensor which is a huge upgrade from the 2.1MP camera in the Yotaphone 2.

The Yotaphone 3 runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat and packs a 3300mAh battery that supports fast charging via a USB Type-C port. It also has a home button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner. There is support for dual SIM slots (nano only) and it has NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 but no audio jack.

Yotaphone 3 Price

The Yotaphone 3 is pricey but we are sure the manufacturer will have reasons for the price. It starts at ¥3699 (~$563) for the 64GB model and jumps to ¥4299 (~$654) for the 128GB version or a 64GB special edition which has a stainless steel frame instead of aluminium and comes with some gifts in the box.

RELATED: Meizu Pro 7 And Meizu Pro 7 Plus Now Official: Dual Cameras, Dual Displays & Fast Charge

Pre-orders began yesterday and it will go on sale on September 26 (64GB model only). The special edition and 128GB edition will go on sale in October. There is also only a black variant for now. We do not know if we will see a white variant in future or a different color entirely.

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In the previous week, the rumor mill had revealed the renders and pricing of the YotaPhone 3. It had been showcased at the China-Russia exhibition that was held in Harbin in June, but for some unknown reason the company decided to keep its details under the wraps. The smartphone has now been officially introduced. It has arrived to replace the YotaPhone 2 that had debuted in February 2014.

The YotaPhone 3, also known as YOTA3 in China and Asian markets, is fitted with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display that produces full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. The backside of the smartphone is flanked with its USP of a 5.2-inch secondary e-ink display that supports HD resolution of 720 x 1,280 pixels. The secondary grayscale screen is an always on display that consumes less power and does not strain the eyes.

The company claims that over 100 specialists from China and Russia have worked for 10 months to develop the YOTA 3. The presence of the Snapdragon 625 chipset under its hood confirms that it is a md-range device. A fingerprint scanner can be seen below the display.

The rear side of the YOTA3 features a 13-megapixel camera and it is coupled with dual-tone LED flash. On the front is the 12-megapixel selfie snapper. The smartphone is running on YotaOS 3.0 that is a customized edition of the Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS. It also features a USB-C port. A 3,300mAh battery powers the YotaPhone 3.

The YotaPhone 3 will be available in two models. The base model has 4 GB of RAM and a native storage of 64 GB. The other model features 4 GB of RAM and an inbuilt storage of 128 GB.

Read More: Yotaphone 2 Review: Amazing Budget Smartphone for just $120!

The 64 GB YotaPhone 3 is priced at 2,398 Yuan (~$360) and the 128 edition of the smartphone carries a pricing of 3,098 Yuan (~$465). JD.com will begin the pre-orders of the Yota3 will start from Sept. 5. The actual sales of the smartphone will start from Sept. 18.  It will be also made available in the market later on through offline stores.

The smartphone will be also hitting the Russian markets with a pricing of 21,500 RUB (~$365) and 27,900 RUB (~$473) respectively for the 64 GB and 128 YotaPhone 3 models. It is likely to hit the Russian markets by the end of this year. The company expects to sell one million YotaPhone 3 phones in the first year.

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The YotaPhone is a loved smartphone for consumers who prefer a dual screen set up, where the phone provides an always-on screen using E-Ink technology.

A long-awaited announcement had arrived in Harbin’s China-Russia Expo over the weekend. Baoli Yota, a joint venture created between investor, Baoli and manufacturer, Coolpad had teased their fans and audience of the upcoming YotaPhone 3, close to four years since the YotaPhone 3’s predecessor’s launch.

A certain date has not been set, however, the presenters did provide a period, set at early fall later this. According to the source, YotaPhone 3 has been confirmed to come in storage options, 64GB and 128GB for prices at $350 and $450, respectively.

In terms of other specifications, the YotaPhone 3 will feature a larger primary 5.5-inch AMOLED display at 1080p, with its secondary rear-facing display sizing at 5.2-inches, 720p and keeping the E-Ink technology.

There have been reports of a fingerprint sensor positioned at the front of the smartphone, a security feature expected to found on all major of flagships to date.

The YotaPhone 3 will be powered by an underwhelming mid-tier Snapdragon 625 CPU, which we have found quite surprising since its predecessor were traditionally powered by the highest end of CPUs that were available at the time. The CPU is paired with a respectable 4GB RAM.

Other features include a 12-megapixel rear camera with dual flash, a 13-megapixel selfie shooter, and 3,200 mAh battery. The YotaPhone 3 will have a USB-C port, which will also serve as an audio output for headphones, yes, they removed the 3.5mm headphone jack. The YotaPhone 3 will be run with Android Nougat.

Although the YotaPhone 3 has provided more up-to-date features such as a fingerprint sensor and USB-C, we feel that the overall phone has been an underwhelming teaser. The specs of the device appear reasonable currently, however, the device will appear obsolete sooner than later by the end of this year.

What are your thoughts on the YotaPhone 3? Do you think the company has made an underwhelming presentation? Share your thoughts and comments down below.

(Source)

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The original YotaPhone was launched in 2013 and is the first android smartphone to sport a secondary e-ink display. It was followed by the YotaPhone 2 in 2014. Last April, the Russian based company announced that the YotaPhone 3 will launch this year with pre-orders beginning this summer. New reports have revealed the pricing of the upcoming device.

According to the General Director of BaoliYota Technology, the YotaPhone 3 will be available in two versions: a 64GB model that will sell for $350 and a 128GB model priced at $450. The announcement was made at the China-Russia Expo on Friday. No other details have been provided about the phone.

We do not know if both versions will only differ in terms of storage or will have other differences like screen size and RAM. However, we know both will have one color display in front and an e-ink display at the back.

READ MORE: E Ink Already Has A Foldable Display, All It Needs Are Customers

At the moment, the YotaPhone 3 is expected to launch in China and Russia only, with pre-orders beginning in September. A US launch was planned for the YotaPhone 2 but it never happened. Maybe the YotaPhone 3 will make it there this time around.

(Source, via)

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Last month we posted an article that talked about the Yotaphone 3 and the fate of its production. The team behind the dual-screen Yotaphone and Yotaphone 2 had confirmed on its Instagram page, that the phone is still in development.

Today the Russian phone startup released a teaser of the upcoming device on its official website. The teaser shows a faint outline of the sides of the phone in a fashion similar to a mirror image. We can make out the curves of the phone and a physical button on one of the sides. There is not much to make out from the teaser apart from the info that says pre-orders begin this summer which should begin in June. So we have two whole months before the Yotaphone 3 is official.

Hopefully before then we should know more about the device. The Yotaphone 3 is expected to feature bigger screens and a better processor. The RAM and storage may also get an upgrade.

That’s not the only good news from Yotaphone. Last week, they also announced on their Facebook page that the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for the Yotaphone 2 is now available. If you own one, all you have to do is head to the “About Phone” section under settings and tap on “System Update”. If the update has reached your phone, then you should be able to download it. The change-log wasn’t provided but at least you get a new android version. We do hope the Yotaphone launches with Android Nougat.

(Source, via)

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There are so many smartphones these days and a lot of them are similar in one way or another. However, some phones are truly unique. The Yotaphone 2 was released almost 3 years ago and it used to cost over $800. Now you can get it for just about $120 and it is probably the most unique cheap smartphone out there. Learn more in our full review.

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqdhTcH5UMI[/embedyt]

UNBOXING

It all starts with a premium presentation. The phone a comes in a unique box that nicely unfolds and inside of it, all the items are actually packed in separate boxes.

The list of accessories includes a nice USB cable, some paperwork, a fast charger, a SIM ejector tool and a pair of earphones, which look kind of nice but the quality of sound is just meh.

DESIGN

The Yotaphone is a unique device not only because of its secondary 4.7” E-ink display but also due to its rounded shape, which may remind you some of the old Nexus devices. What is also kind of unique is that the phone is very compact according to today’s standards and that it mainly due to the 5” 1080p AMOLED panel.

Speaking of that display, I can say that it is punchy, vibrant and it offers deep blacks – like most of the AMOLED panels. Both displays are covered with Gorilla Glass 3 for scratch resistance.

As for cameras, we have just an 8MP shooter on the back and 2MP on the front. Oh.. you can actually use the main camera with the LED flash for selfies and see yourself on the e-ink display.

Since the Yotaphone used to be the high-end phone, the loudspeaker quality is one of the best you can find in this price range.

Overall, the device is well made and it sits comfortably in the hand. However, we don’t have any premium materials like metal, there is no notification LED light, there are only the on-screen navigation buttons and last but not least the volume rocker rattles quite a lot. Well, it may be due to the fact that there is a single nano sim card tray inside the button.

SECONDARY DISPLAY

The question is what can you do with the secondary display and why is it there?

Well, you can do a lot of things. First of all, you can see all your notifications and access some frequently used apps that sit on the on the Yotapanels, which are highly customizable.

You can access your calendar, contacts, play the music and so on. Everything can be highly customized but…. I think that’s the boring stuff. You can mirror absolutely anything you want on the secondary display. The possibilities are endless here… You can play some pre-installed games or use the display for your movie tickets.

Not sure if you want to watch videos or even play some games on the black and white display that has much slower refresh rates but it is kind of fun and it saves a ton of power.

Speaking of the power, you can enjoy reading a collection of e-books for a whopping 100h using the e-ink display and the built-in Yotaphone’s power management tools. However, if you prefer using the Yotaphone’s main display more often, you will get just over 3 hours of screen-on time. At least, that was my result on kind of intensive use.

USER INTERFACE

The secondary display definitely looks like an innovation even in 2016 but the Yotaphone is a 2-year old device after all. My Chinese review unit runs the outdated Android 4.4 and I know that a lot of folks may be disappointed.

On the other hand, the stock-looking UI is pretty fast and I just had a few minor hiccups over the time.

HARDWARE

For just $130, you are getting and old but still capable Snapdragon 801 chip. If you add 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, you can enjoy playing some 3D games even on the highest graphics with just a few skipped frames.

IMAGE QUALITY

The image quality is kind of average. The daylight images could have more detail and sharpness, the dynamic range adjustment is kind of poor and the HDR mode leads to unnatural looking colors. Still, you can some nice pictures that can rival some newly released phones in this price range.

Where the Yotaphone 2 is better than your average $130 phone is the low-light. The photos are not the best but are definitely usable.

The selfie image quality leaves a lot to be desired.

The 1080p video looks kind of okay but don’t expect any stellar-looking footage from the phone this cheap.

CONNECTIVITY

When it comes to connectivity, the phone lacks the microSD card slot, it comes with just 1 sim card tray but there is NFC, a stable wifi connection and the good quality earpiece that assures a great call quality.

If you add the wireless charging feature, you may live with the previously mentioned shortcomings. Ohh.. and almost forgot, the GPS is very accurate for navigation.

CONCLUSIONS

That leads us to the final conclusion and we should answer if the Yotaphone is worth buying in 2017.

I think it is. $130 will get you a phone that is truly unique mostly due to its secondary display. Whether you love reading books or want to mirror the entire main display, the Yotaphone has you covered.

However, this device is 2 years old and you get the outdated hardware, software, the volume rocker rattles, there is no notification LED light, just above average camera, and you are stuck with just 1 sim card tray..

Even with those shortcomings, I think that the Yotaphone is still a one of a kind device at this price point. It’s up to you to decide whether that blend of uniqueness and outdated hardware is worth your money.

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The original Yotaphone was released in 2013 as the first smartphone in the world with 2 screens. It had a 4.3-inch 720p primary display and a second always-on 4.3-inch grayscale screen on the back. It was followed by a second generation model that had a larger 5.0-inch 1080p screen on one side and a second 4.7-inch grayscale screen on the other hand.

The Yotaphone 2 was supposed to be followed by a cheaper version called the Yotaphone 2C but that didn’t happen. They also had to cancel a North American release of the Yotaphone 2 in 2015. Just before the end of 2015, the Russian company announced that it was partnering with ZTE to release the Yotaphone 3 in Q1 2016. Up until this moment, the device hasn’t been released.

Most folks would have already given up on the device, but a response on the official Instagram page says the Yotaphone 3 is still in development. No details of the upcoming product were revealed but if fans of the brand have to wait this long, we believe it should be worth the wait.

READ MORE: Elephone Z1 with 6GB RAM Takes Multitasking to Another Level

Possible specs we might see on the Yotaphone 3 may include the Snapdragon 821 chipset, a better camera, and a bigger battery. It will also make sense if it launches with Android Nougat. These are all speculations though and the final device might sport something different entirely.

(Source, via)

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The Shenzhen, China based multinational telecommunications company ZTE Corporation has reached an agreement with Yota Devices to manufacture the YotaPhone 3. Yota Devices is an international private company from Russia that introduced the world’s first dual-screen smartphone by the brand name YotaPhone. The YotaPhone was first launched in December 2013 and the company claims that it has sold more than 3.5 million connectivity devices since then. The latest release of the smartphone series is the YotaPhone 2.

The dual-screen handsets used to be manufactured in Singapore but now this partnership will outsource the production of the YotaPhone 3 to the manufacturing facilities of the Chinese telecom giant ZTE. The Russian company has also indicated that integration of mobile services as well as software development will be handled in the partnership. Initially it is expected that 100,000 devices will be manufactured to be released in the first quarter of 2016.

The existing YotaPhone 2 runs Android KitKat on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor. The front 5 inch full capacitive touch screen supports 16M colors while the always-on back screen is a full capacity touch 16-level gray scale Electronic Paper Display. This unique back-screen feature lets users set up a custom cover picture or 100 hour reading time between charges.

Meanwhile, we expect to see another dual-screen smartphone before the end of the year, the UMI Zero. However, the company has not yet revealed a launch date of the device.

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