The first-generation YotaPhone featuring front and back displays only went on sale in December 2013, but the company has now announced its followup smartphone.
Key changes include full touch operation on the rear (e-ink) screen, a quad core Snapdragon processor, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, NFC, and Android 4.4 KitKat (rather than 4.2.2 Jelly Bean). The new phone is also slightly slimmer.
Full touch operation on the rear screen means it can be used to take phone calls, send SMSes, and so on.
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Any app or content can be sent to the rear screen, which is especially useful for displaying tickets or boarding passes when the battery is running low. It also provides for more comfortable e-book reading.
New apps for the rear screen include a fitness tracker and an app for following a sports team's fixtures and games.
Yota also provides software to help users separate their work and personal lives, at least as far as the phone is concerned.
Returning to the topic of battery life, the YotaPhone includes a 2550mAh battery with wireless charging, a company spokesperson told iTWire.
The new YotaPhone is expected to go on sale by the end of this year, initially in Europe.
Pricing has not been announced, but according to the spokesperson will be similar to other premium Android smartphones. The original YotaPhone costs US$499, and is on sale in 20 European, CIS and Middle East markets.
