Russian smartphone in quest to break into cut-throat global market

Moscow

FEW people looking to buy a trendy, state-of-the-art smartphone anywhere in the world today would even think about a Russian model, but the makers of the YotaPhone aspire to change that.

The startup's quest to break into the cut-throat global market for cellphones even got a boost from President Vladimir Putin, who has lately renewed a push to make innovation the next big thing for Russia's bedraggled economy.

During his "pivot to China" trip to sign a fistful of economic cooperation agreements last fall, Mr Putin presented two of the dual-screen phones to his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping.

"Is there cooperation on this phone too?" Mr Xi asked, eyeing the two screens curiously, and Putin responded hastily, "There will be." The very idea of an "innovative Russian consumer gadget" tends to provoke mostly gag lines, reminiscent of the old Cold War joke about how Russian Playboy featur…