YotaPhone is an Android smartphone with a regular touchscreen on one side and an E Ink display on the other. It's been around for well over a year now, and in our time with previous prototypes we've been impressed with its premise, if not Yota Devices' execution. At MWC this year, the Russian carrier-turned-manufacturer is showing off an all-new prototype it believes solves many of the original model's flaws.

The new YotaPhone improves over its predecessor in many ways. The original's 4.3-inch 720p display is now a 5-inch 1080p unit, and its blocky corners have been replaced with smooth curves. All of the specs you'd expect to improve have: …

Read the full story at The Verge.

At this year's Mobile World Congress, Mozilla is pushing its self-appointed mission to create a truly affordable smartphone with the demonstration of a $25 proof of concept device. Built by chip partner Spreadtrum, it runs the latest version of Firefox OS, but unfortunately does so with considerably more lag than the new generation of handsets introduced by Mozilla's partners. The basic spec is reminiscent of the original iPhone, with a 3.5-inch, 320 x 480 display, 2-megapixel camera, and no 3G connectivity. That's where the similarities end, however, as the Firefox OS prototype uses a quite terrible LCD display and offers a maddeningly slow …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Relations between Microsoft and Google are as icy as Nokia's hometown of Espoo, Finland, which made it a bit of a shocker when Nokia - by far Microsoft's largest mobile partner - dropped an Android-shaped bomb on Windows Phone this week with the introduction of its X handsets. Just weeks away from being swallowed by Microsoft, Nokia is releasing three cheap, Android-powered devices that are designed to appeal to the mass market. All three are low-end models that won't compete with an iPhone 5S or Samsung's Galaxy S5. Instead, they're positioned as smartphones targeted at the millions of people globally who are currently switching away from f …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The original Galaxy Gear was always a beta device. Samsung's first smartwatch was testing waters the company had never waded in before, and it took a lot of well-earned criticism for its shortcomings. Less than six months later, however, Samsung returns to the fray with a new smart wearable that provokes a drastically different reaction: desire. Where the original was bulky and uncomfortable, the Gear Fit is slender and form-fitting. The Gear was rich on features but lacked a clear purpose - a problem arguably shared by the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo. The Fit, on the other hand, is clear-eyed in purpose and minimal in design.

Samsung's rare restr …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Samsung's latest takes on wearables, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, were among the flurry of announcements from the electronics company at Mobile World Congress this year. Representing a refinement on last year's Galaxy Gear, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo are thinner, lighter, more comfortable and longer lasting than Samsung's first attempt.

Both watches offer significant improvements on the outside - they are more comfortable to wear and provide the option to change the wristband with a standard 22mm watch strap, something that the first Galaxy Gear couldn't do. It's a small change, but in addition to the variety of colors that the new watches com …

Read the full story at The Verge.