EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Vlad Martynov, CEO of Yota Devices, told Mobile World Live that the premium pricing of its YotaPhone 2 is justified because “we bring some innovation to consumers that nobody can offer today, which makes their interactions much more convenient.”

The device features a two-front display, with a standard HD AMOLED screen mated with a low-power “always-on” screen on the other side. But its pricing of €699 puts it on a par with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 and Apple’s iPhone 6, which raised some eyebrows following its launch last December.

“If you remember the first iPhone, when it was introduced by Apple, it was twice more expensive than any regular smartphone with quite a premium specification at that point in time. Our price is comparable with the premium Android smartphone, either from Samsung, or Sony, or LG, or any other brand, but in addition you have the second always-on display, which can do for you a lot of things that nobody else can do,” the executive said.

Martynov is bullish about the future of always-on displays, and not just among his company’s own products.

“Fundamentally, why should we wake-up gadgets, and help gadgets, before the gadgets help us? The gadgets around us, to make our lives easier, they should anticipate what we need, when we need it, and assist us to make our lives more productive in a very intelligent way,” he said.

View our interview with Vlad Martynov here.