Jumbo Electronics, Flipkart to launch YotPhone

Leading IT, telecom and consumer electronics retailer and distributor in the UAE, Jumbo Electronics has joined hands with e-commerce marketplace Flipkart, to launch the world's first dual-screen smartphone – YotaPhone – in India, The Financial Express reported.

The 'always-on' Android smartphone, featuring a liquid crystal display on one side and electronic paper display on the other, goes on sale today on Flipkart, at a retail price of Rs23,499.

YotaPhone a new concept in mobile communications, has been pioneered by Yota Devices, a private international company which develops and produces LTE devices such as smartphones, modems and routers.

The inclusion of a second screen using electronic paper display (EPD) technology, gives users access to the information they need on a continual basis without having to wake up their phone.

According a press note by the company, the technology also preserved smartphone battery power.

According to Abdul Karim Sawan, vice president for Yota Decices, Middle East and India, YotaPhone featured an electronic paper display that would work as a second screen, making it possible to deliver an array of new and improved user experiences.

He added, it combined a smartphone and e-reader into one device for those who enjoyed reading on-the-go even in the brightest sunlight.

Sawan said users could save images and information on the second screen, and it stayed there, even if battery power was lost. Users could save anything on the always-on display from a map to a boarding pass.

He said information, like a missed call or meeting reminder, stayed on the always-on screen until it was no longer needed.

The YotaPhone features a 16 million colour 4.3-inch IPS LCD touch screen having a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and 342 ppi pixel density on one side, while the other side sported a 4.3-inch 16-grayscale electronic paper display with a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels, 16:9 aspect ratio and 170 ppi pixel density, The Indian Express reported.

The device runs on a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus with 2GB of RAM and 32GB internal memory and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system.

The device is powered by a 1800mAh battery, with a 13MP rear camera and a 1MP front camera. For connectivity the device offers 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-fi and Bluetooth 4.0.