Someone has finally taken note that throughout the day, we use our smartphones in at least two different ways. There's the active way, where you're futzing around with an app and your thumbs are flying across the screen. Then there's the passive way, where you're glancing at it to reference some piece of information you need. And with that latter usage, it would be better if the information was persistently presented, not something you had to call up by doing a home-button-press/swipe/access-code-enter/app-button-press.

Thus Russian tech manufacturer Yota Devices produces the Yota Phone, billed as "The world's first dual-screen, always-on smartphone." While one side has got the familiar color touchscreen we're all familiar with, flip the thing over and there's a black-and-white, EPD electronic-ink-type display that draws no power once its pixels are in place. (The image or text will stay "burned" there even if the phone's battery dies.) In other words you send whatever data you want to that second screen and it stays there, ready for immediate viewing when you pull the phone out of your bag, no button presses necessary. If I owned this phone I'd constantly avail myself of the convenience of having a grocery list, boarding pass, map snippet, reference dimensions, addresses and appointment times, etc.

First gen: Square-ish

Second gen: Pebble-ish

And imagine having a remote control for objects in your home always on hand.

The version Yota released last December featured a 4.3-inch EPD screen with a capacitive touch strip below it to navigate; but the next version, already in the works, boasts a 4.7-inch EPD that's got full touch capacity. And this new version, due later this year, features a neat trick: If your battery's running low, you can switch the EPD to act as the main screen, as the low-draw EPD will do a better job of conserving your precious juice.

Tech geeks can pore over the Android device's specs here.

Via The Next Web