yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[YotaPhone] smekla:
Yes the EPD uses the battery when something changes on the screen and the clock changes every minute so in theory it should use more battery, though don't think it will be significant.
[YotaPhone] zute333:
I use whatsapp on the EPD, it probably does use more battery than it should but it looks nice and works so I don't mind hugely. The yotapanel with the clock will be refreshing every minute, but the battery usage will be minimal, especially compared to using the front screen. The panel's are designed to give function to the EPD and if you just use the panels you can get literally days more usage than if you use the AMOLED display regularly. A slight refresh every minute is nothing, yes it's more than the screen not refreshing, but it's nothing to worry about. If you use it as it's designed to be used you'll eliminate battery anxiety, which is a wonderful freedom after years of having to be mindful.
[YotaPhone] smekla:
I've done quick test the other day and used only EPD with yotaenergy saving on so through the day the battery dropped own ~10-12% only.
[YotaPhone] Rarelyamson:
Can you use Hangouts on the EPD?
[YotaPhone] smekla:
You can use literally any app on the EPD screen because you can mirror the main screen.
[YotaPhone] zute333:
Tested a bit the other day too, used EPD mostly but did use the main screen a little bit for some app updates and some other stuff - 30 hours in was down to 69%. It can really go if you need it too eh? :o
[YotaPhone] Rarelyamson:
Thanks, so on the EPD if you press the messaging icon would it open the hangouts app?
[YotaPhone] zute333:
No, the messaging icon opens the EPDs native sms app. Its nice, has a bit of material design and all. If you want hangouts to open on the EPD you can either use yota mirror, or, more conveniently, you can customize the app launcher widgets on the yota panels to have any apps you want.
[YotaPhone] varun.gid:
So ur saying, if i use whatsapp on the EPD, it will use lesser battery than the Amoled screen, despite it refreshing on every text?
[YotaPhone] zute333:
I would say whatsapp depends on usage. If your using EPD to get to whatsapp and send and reply to some messages then back to the yotapanels for a while it's probably not bad on battery but if your using whatsapp heavily, scrolling up and down pages, switching between conversations and constantly writing and receiving messages then it may well use more than the AMOLED does. I'm not certain, for advice in that regard its probably better to contact yota or someone who knows about and works with EPDS. I might facebook yota when I get home, thinking about it, and see what they say on the matter cos to be honest I'm not sure and don't want to write false information.
[YotaPhone] varun.gid:
Ok cool makes sense.. ya if u do get an answer from Yota keep us posted here :D
[YotaPhone] manmikey:
Thanks eurocile, your testing and efforts confirm what I suspect from various reviews and my own experiences.

There is also a further way that prolongs battery life and that would be messaging, notifications and "glancing" at the devices EPD instead of the OLED, I think much of the promised battery life can be achieved when messaging via the EPD , glancing at the date or time, emails etc.

In a days typical use I'm sure all the little savings by not lighting up the OLED results in my battery lasting we'll into two days when using the EPD in this way. But I can just as easily kill it in four hours when Using the OLED in an intesnsive session!
[YotaPhone] smekla:
No doubt :)

On the contrary test - couple weeks ago i have drained the battery within 1 day by watching a movie (total 2 hours), listening to the internet radio for another ~2 hours and using the phone as usual through the day (couple messages/calls, etc.) on OLED and EPD (mixed), at the end of day there was like 2% left but it didn't die until i plugged the charger in.

After all i really love the power saving mode, now i always keep it on during night time which greatly improves the battery life :cool:
[YotaPhone] zute333:
So I got in touch with Yota feedback on thoughts on how the EPD works and Yota have responded. My questions were thus:

When using the EPD as the primary screen I understand that the battery is diminished only when the screen refreshes. My understanding on this is a bit limited;

Is the battery usage proportional to the amount of the screen that is refreshing? For example the sms app or a notetaking app would not use a huge amount as not much of the screen is changing?

My main question boils down to this example I suppose;

Will using something like whatsapp exclusively on the EPD use more battery than on the AMOLED screen? As the screen would be refreshing a lot due to scrolling and constantly sending and receiving messages am I right in thinking that that might actually be detrimental to battery life compared to normal usage?

Yota responded saying:

1. Indeed, if only a small part of the screen is refreshed, then you are not using as much battery as if the whole screen would refresh

2. Any application used in the EPD screen will save more battery then using it on the AMOLED screen. The AMOLED screen also needs to refresh, and it will always drain more battery on your phone then the EPD screen.

So that means to me that when using apps like whatsapp, xda, notetaking apps etc. it makes absolute sense to use the EPD for them and we shouldn't have anything to worry about in terms of them using more battery on the EPD. The fact that battery life is affected proportionally to how much of the screen is refreshing opens up a lot of app usage possibilities. However, I'm guessing that, as always, your mileage may vary. Every phone is different and we like to tinker with them on here so we'll all have different set ups, kernel settings, greenify settings, xposed modules running, apps running and all that so we're bound to differ in battery life results. The point though, is that if we need our battery life to last longer we can make it happen by using the EPD and energy mode.

Thanks Yota, battery anxiety is well and truly forgotten for me :P.
[YotaPhone] euroclie:
Thanks for the detailed review.

Coming from a Samsung smartphone, I too find the built-in launcher a tad limited for my taste, so I've been using Nova Launcher (I was using it on the Samsung too). Works fine, the only glitch is that sometimes if you exit an app, the previously running app screen will display shortly before you get back to the launcher screen...

I agree with all the points you raised, and even if I'm a big fan of the YotaPhone 2 (I expect to keep it at least until the ARA Project phones become a viable reality), I'm disappointed by the delay to release their YotaPhone 2-compatible SDK. I mean, the EPD is great, but it could mean so much more if other developpers could start supporting it in their apps. It's coming at a snail pace, whereas a SDK release before the actual device ships, like the Pebble Time SDK, allow developpers to update their apps and give a sure boost in sales when the phone is released!
[YotaPhone] scdoyle:
New owner here since Friday. First impressions are very positive - I am just enjoying the sheer uniqueness of this phone. The 'normal' android functionality and the main screen are just fine - no issues whatsoever. I also like the size and form factor - it's a pleasant change having a smaller phone as I am coming from a Note 4. But the EPD is of course the reason I purchased this and I think the covers/panels concept is great. The built-in widgets are nice and all seem to work well in terms of calendar, weather etc. Like previous comments, the lack of gmail/whatsapp widgets is a bit disappointing. I am using the built-in email client for my gmail right now so I can use the email widgetbut I guess there is no workaround for whatsapp.

My one concern at the moment is battery life. Even just sitting idle with the EPD display showing a panel the battery has gone down 15% in 4 hours. I was expecting better than that given that this is a selling point and some of the comments of several days' usage. When I look at the battery stats the 'phone idle' and 'android system' are the main consumers so I am not sure if I can do anything about that. Did your battery life improve after a while?
[YotaPhone] euroclie:
I'm glad you like your YotaPhone 2, I find it a very pleasant device to use, too.

As for battery life, if your phone sits idle, then the battery drain should not be too different from what you get with a normal phone. Since the screen is what uses the most battery, then having the EPD display a couple of notifications may not be the biggest battery drain, anyway not much less than having the LED display light up to display the notifications then get to sleep again.

In order to get the most out of my battery, I regularly hunt down the processor / bandwidth-hungry apps, the kind that regularly wake-up my phone (not necessarily the screen, but at least the processor), then perform some task (usually involving network access), then get back to sleep.

That's why I recently uninstalled Shazam, for instance. Despite its usefulness it was listed as frequently waking up my YotaPhone, even when I didn't use the app. The same is also true for instant messenger-like or weather apps. The more frequently they poll the net for updates, the less battery life you get, regardless of using the EPD or not.

Don't forget, too, that battery life can also be decreased (significantly) by a poor GSM coverage, meaning the phone uses more power to stay connected even when idle. That can have a significant effect, regardless of the phone you're using, but most of the time you have no power on the subject, and have to learn to live with poor coverage, unless you can switch to another carrier if one provides better service where you live/work.

The YotaPhone is indeed advertised as having a great battery life, but that's if you're using the EPD instead of the LED display when applicable, otherwise it's a standard Android Phone. Granted, you can activate the (clever and efficient) YotaEnergy mode, but then you're not using it exactly the way you'd use another typical Android phone, though, which render any comparison tricky at best.

For me, at the end of the day, the EPD is a clear winner since it lets me read ebooks without draining the phone's battery, and saving me the hassle of carrying a Kobo or Kindle ebook reader in addition to the phone. But I don't use much the EPD for notifications, it displays my current ebook cover 90% of the time! ;)
[YotaPhone] scdoyle:
Thanks for the informative response. On the battery question, perhaps I was just spoiled with the large Note 4 battery and I just need to re-adapt to more typical battery life. It looks to me like I will go through just over 50% on a typical day so I still need to recharge every night. Related to that, my phone always switches on when it is charging - is this right? I have not seen that behaviour on android for quite some time. Last phone I had that did that was a Windows phone a few years ago.
[YotaPhone] zute333:
The phone and its battery life get better and better the more you get used to it. Use the EPD for all the basics, get used to treating it as a primary screen. This will get easier as more devs make compatible apps. Yota's updates are good, they show they are paying attention to the wanted features. E.g. new email update - now we can add any account so I (for example) can finally have gmail on the back screen widget. This can open links in the EPD browser, allowing smooth transitions that helps you keep on the back if you want. I'm pretty hopeful the updates will only get better and incorporate more and more features. As it is though, the app launcher works with yota mirror pretty well, up to you to choose the apps that work with it well and/or that compliment the EPD.

I haven't noticed my phone turning on when being charger, EPD up so the battery widget updates and that's all.

If you want it to, and you use the phone with the EPD in mind as intended, it can last you for days. The other day I got back from work, I had been reading some creepy pasta and whatnot throughout, it had been a slow day. That with some emails and messaging and some games resulted in a lot of screen usage. When I got home I checked gsam - 34% in 13 hours and 18 minutes. That was with 5 hours and 20 minutes of screen time and wifi on constantly. I admit that was with energy mode and a couple of root changes, still think it's pretty excellent to be able to do that.

We may be waiting a while for the Lollipop update, but when it comes it could well be glorious.
[YotaPhone] scdoyle:
How are you doing this please? If I set up my gmail account as a 'google account' and use the gmail app to view it, the yota panel does not see it as an option and does not show the emails. I have to set it up instead as an IMAP account in the email client, which is not as good as it does not allow push. Thanks.
[YotaPhone] zute333:
Check the play store and update whatever yota have if available to update, the recent notification widget update allows any account to be added. Press the email button on the widget on the EPD side, turn the screen over and set up whichever account you want to be shown on the EPD and once that is done that email account can be used straight from the notification widget :)
[YotaPhone] scdoyle:
This is still not working for me. When I go into the EPD email widget settings, I do not see my gmail account as an option, only the IMAP ones. I have the latest yota updates. To confirm, when you go to settings/accounts, is your gmail included under 'Google' accounts (blue square icon) or under IMAP accounts (white envelope icon)? Thanks.
[YotaPhone] zute333:
I simply pressed on email once update was done and just filled in email and password, that was all it asked for and it did basically everything else itself.

I have gmail with gmail app and with normal mail app so can use it on the EPD, as such I have both gmail and mail, both pop and IMAP.
[YotaPhone] varun.gid:
I have suddenly noticed GPS issues on my phone. Anyone tried MAps or sending location to people? It doesn't work properly.
[YotaPhone] manmikey:
No issues here, I've just tried maps and sending a location on WhatsApp and it works okay , maybe download a GPS app (GPS Test?) To see if you have a sensor problem?

Have you checked location services are turned on?
[YotaPhone] kms108:
Does anyone know the back ground about Yotaphone, is this a Asian brand.

Apparently the discount from facebook does not work in Hong Kong, looks like I have to find a local shop and see if I can get some discount.
[YotaPhone] euroclie:
They're a Moscow-based Russian company. They became known after releasing the Yotaphone (1), which was quite interesting but probably not premium enough to be a success, and with the Yotaphone 2 I hope they'll get the recognition their clever design deserves! So not an Asian company, unless you put Moscow in Asia... ;)

Been there, done that, the Facebook discount didn't work in France either, I suspect it was valid only in the UK... :(
[YotaPhone] smekla:
Is the Facebook discount still valid at least in UK or am I too late now?

Sent from my YD201
[YotaPhone] Samkk:
not satisfy ..too slow :(
[YotaPhone] varun.gid:
Ya i tried GPS Test and it wasnt locking properly at all. When sending maps on whatsapp its accurate to 900m!!! N on Google Maps the Arrow doesn't move its just locked at one point. Think it's faulty send it for repair.
[YotaPhone] ikst8:
hi! just got a yotaphone 2 a couple of days ago. great phone overall but i have an annoying bug. suddenly i received the error "Unfortunately counters has stopped" and from that point on no notification was visible on the e-ink panel/display. i couldnt find any solution so i did a factory reset. worked ok for a day but then the error came back. it seems like a conflict with the rom maybe. has anyone else encountered this? is there a solution to it? thanks
[YotaPhone] dai75:
New Yotaphone 2 owner

Hi,

just received my new "baby" yesterday. I'm currently using a LG G2 so I guess I can only give you my impression compared with it. First have to say I bought the Yota coz it's unique in the market and I like it. Then I was and am a battery drain hunter. Each time I buy a new phone, I do everything I can to optimize battery life. For example, I can use ma LG G2 for 4 days now with 3h of internet time (wi-fi) everyday and Push emails on. I'm quite proud of all the tweaks I applied but I had to root it. Things that seems to be quite difficult with the Yota.

To go back to Yota, I like the Yota mirroring that allows us to use the phone with the EPD. Yes because the real benefits is the e-ink screen. To give the drawback is that I lost some of the good stuff like :

- no led for notification

- no IR so no remote control that I use a lot to replace all my remotes (TV, Blu-ray, internet boxes, etc...)

- no knock knock : so cannot wake up my phone by double taping on the screen

- no root for the moment (so no Xposed or all apps that requires root) as I prefer waiting for the lollipop update and I read lots of users that rooted their Yota who had some problems with the latest update.

So I guess I have to put aside all the goodies I had with my LG G2 and cheer me up with the benefits of the EPD
[YotaPhone] ikst8:
you can wake the yota by sliding your finger from the bottom up. there is also the option to lock it by tapping the display with 3 fingers.
[YotaPhone] dai75:
Wow, great thanks for the bottomup slide. It really helps to know this trick. for the second trick, I use Go Launcher so I can create my own gesture to lock the screen (I also use a bottomup slide).

It's thanks to XDA that things are easier! Thumbs up for ikst8.
[YotaPhone] adamo86:
screen protector

Does any one if there is a front and back screen protector for yotaphone 2.also are the invisible shield any good
[YotaPhone] TheNewOrder:
haptic feedback

hi guys,

i just bought the yp2 and i'm still experimenting with it.

so far everything looks great but i have an issue i haven't been able to work out so far: how can i turn off the haptic feedback on the e-ink display? i managed to switch it off for the whole main display and also for the e-ink-keyboard but not for all the other actions on the 2nd screen.

your help would be greatly appreciated!
[YotaPhone] zute333:
TheNewOrder, I haven't been able to disable EPD haptic feedback either, I'm not sure it can be done. I stand to be hopefully corrected.

Adamo you can find back screen ones, I've tried a few. Most don't work, right shape but don't bend. Found one that was quite good (will get back to you with brand name once I find the packaging). I don't use one on the EPD now though - the screen is so clear and good at not getting smudges and a protector really pulls from the aesthetic quality of the thing. Doesn't feel the same either. I have hope for some liquid based ones once the tech gets a bit better.
[YotaPhone] zute333:
Could try these, they look like should get the job done protection wise.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/YotaPhone-I...27087&sr=8-1&keywords=yotaphone+2+back+screen

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skinomi®-Te...27087&sr=8-8&keywords=yotaphone+2+back+screen

I'm going to get a techskin, will update on its effectiveness.
[YotaPhone] adamo86:
Has anyone tried rooting using Kingo it officially supports yota2 I think
[YotaPhone] zute333:
The successful rooting methods, using a combination of kingo and some fiddling around etc, are in a different thread. Yes though, Kingo does work. You'll probably have to try various different drivers but it does eventually work.
[YotaPhone] adamo86:
Does it break any features.
[YotaPhone] zute333:
Nope, not for me anyway. It's only rooting, no roms or anything else being flashed over. Having access to root folders, a kernel control app, greenify and xposed most definitely makes it worth it.
[YotaPhone] adamo86:
If anything goes wrong does factory reset solve it?

Also which method and driver did you use
[YotaPhone] zute333:
http://xdaforums.com/yotaphone-one/general/yotaphone-2-horizon-t2961595

its all in this thread I think.

Used kingo root with qualcomm composite device driver I think. Download the yota drivers from their site and try them first. If anything goes wrong then yes a factory reset should solve it. As always with rooting, no promises. It's a pretty simple procedure though, you'll be fine.
[YotaPhone] zute333:
Factory reset should resolve any issues and return the phone to it's original state. Having said that, it's rooting, stuff can happen and not all phones are created equal and all that. You should be fine though, simple process.

Try kingo root and the yota drivers from the yota website. If not try other things.

'Eventually I manually selected the phone as an Android USB device and selected a qualcomm composite ADB interface driver and then kingo worked and now rooted. ' - from other thread.
[YotaPhone] adamo86:
It's interesting even though Kingo says failed it's actually rooted.
[YotaPhone] zute333:
yeah mine did that, whatever works works.
[YotaPhone] adamo86:
Does anyone know why I can't add my own rss feeds. It says to check data connection
[YotaPhone] luisumf:
battery life awful after lollipop update

i used to love my yotaphone everything was great battery life amazing and it was pretty responsive but after the latest lollipop update my battery drains really fast and it becomes unresponsive sometimes, is this happening to anyone else?
[YotaPhone] adamo86:
When did lollipop update come out
[YotaPhone] luisumf:
about a week ago just updated automatically but its very bad, my cheek activates speakerphone all the time, today my pone autodialed 6 people, battery drains, it freezes, if you have a notification when you are making a call theres no way to hang up, its difficult sometimes to answer the phone and overall its slower. My advice dont update yet until the bugs are gone
[YotaPhone] adamo86:
I got my phone it's been a week I didn't get any notification for lollipop

Where is your device from.
[YotaPhone] luisumf:
russia
[YotaPhone] manmikey:
I'm in the UK where we haven't had the lollipop update yet, thanks for your report it sounds like a really bad update and maybe explains why its not released else where yet. Hopefully they will release updates to solve your issues.

When I first got my Yotaphone 2 about 2 months ago updates came thick and fast but there have been none recently although the phone is stable an bug free on KitKat.
[YotaPhone] Jeopardy:
On a slightly unrelated note: have you tried to root the device on Lollipop? Were you rooted before the update?
[YotaPhone] adamo86:
Has anyone tried hktheme manager xposed
[YotaPhone] zute333:
Sorry Thisco13, will get back to you eventually, writing last uni assignment, but soon I promise :P.

This sprang up earlier: http://www.gsmarena.com/yotaphone_2...white_and_with_a_reduced_price-news-12253.php

Lollipop incoming.
[YotaPhone] varun.gid:
+1 Wanted to know if i can take the LP update if im rooted.