When Cam reviewed the YotaPhone 2 earlier this year, he came away impressed with the two-faced device, calling it “an awesome smartphone.” Now Yota Devices has announced that it’s making the YotaPhone 2 even better.
First up, the YotaPhone 2 is getting treated to a software update that brings Android 5.0 Lollipop and some big tweaks. Yota says that the YotaPhone 2 will see better camera performance as well as general performance and responsiveness improvements. Meanwhile, the YotaPhone 2’s rear E Ink display is gaining Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram widgets.
The second bit of big YotaPhone 2 news is that the device is getting a price cut. After launching at €699 in Europe and £555 in the U.K., the device will now cost €599 and £440, respectively. Yota also reaffirmed that the YotaPhone 2 is coming to the U.S. via an Indiegogo campaign that’s expected to kick off in July. The company previously said that it expects to price the YotaPhone 2 at around $600 in the U.S.
Finally, the YotaPhone 2 is getting some new duds. Yota is now selling its dual-screened device in white after offering a black version for several months. The white YotaPhone 2 is identical in specs and price to the black version, though it does invert the colors of its E Ink display.
Overall these are some pretty big announcements for the YotaPhone 2, which has already received praise in its first few months of availability. It’s good to see that the device is getting updated to Lollipop — especially since that should make it much more enticing when it launches in the U.S. — and I’ll be interested to see exactly how much the update improves the YotaPhone 2’s camera performance, which was previously cited as one of the weaker aspects of the phone.