Russia’s YotaPad Set to Displace Foreign Gadgets in Russian Market

The Russian company Yota Devices, which developed the domestic smartphone brand YotaPhone, is intent to capture the Russian market share of foreign electronic gadgets: it is currently developing its own Russian-made tablet, electronic schoolbooks and a new, third model of the YotaPhone.

Yota Devices, a Russian company, is working on developing its own tablet according to Sergey Chemezov, the CEO of Rostec Corporation, which owns a quarter of the total share capital of Yota Devices.

“We are working on a tablet. I have already seen it,” the Russian media quotes Chemezov as saying. “We’ve already developed one more interesting device: you put a phone on it and it charges.”

The CEO however has not specified when the tablet, nicknamed YotaPad, is set to be released.

Chemezov also commented on a new, third model of the YotaPhone.

“I’ve already seen it as well – it is better and more up-to-date,” he said.

The CEO added that the smartphone could be released as soon February 2016 and by the end of this year the company will present a budget version of the smartphone.

Chemezov also said that Yota Devices is aimed at entering foreign markets and will soon launch the sale of its devices to China.

“The contracts with partners from China imply a high potential for the product in the region and demonstrate China's desire to develop its cooperation with Russia [as it relates to] consumer electronics," he said.

The company’s core product, the YotaPhone, turned heads in December 2013 when the company unveiled its novel dual-screen design. On one side the phone features a standard LCD screen familiar to all smartphone users, while the opposite side has an e-ink screen.

The traditional front display can be used for gaming, messaging, web browsing, and watching videos, while the e-paper display on the back allows users to read books and check basic social networks and news apps, without excessive battery drain.

Six months after being launched in Europe, the second version of Russian manufacturer Yota Devices' dual-screen smartphone went on sale in the US via IndieGogo, a crowdfunding website.