The Russian search giant is planning to launch a Chinese-made smartphone under its own brand later this year, reported business daily Vedomosti, based on various sources.
Dubbed “Yandex.Telefon,” (model YNDX-000SB), the device appeared last month in the registry of cryptographic devices authorized for import in the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Russia is a member.
Yandex has not disclosed the technical features of the smartphone, but Vedomosti believes they are mostly similar to the parameters of Chinese smartphones within the price range of 10,000 – 12,000 rubles (roughly $150 to $180 at the current exchange rate).
According to sources cited by the publication, Yandex has been expecting to import the first batch of the smartphones, some 20,000 devices, to Russia this autumn. The initial price was reportedly 14,990 rubles (around $225), however, due to the rising price of the US dollar, it has grown to up to 20,000 rubles ($300)
Currently, Yandex is in talks with MTS, Megafon, Vimpelcom and M.Video-Eldorado, Russia’s major electronics retailers, to launch the sales of the new smartphone. But, according to Vedomosti, the negotiations have been unsuccessful so far: Yandex is reportedly demanding too low a margin for its devices — from 3% to 8%, instead of around 30%, which Russian analyst Eldar Murtazin believes is closer to market practice.
Yandex.Telefon will come just months after the launch of Yandex’s first electronic device, a smart speaker named ‘Yandex.Station.’ Priced at 9,990 rubles (around $150), the device is currently out of stock.
