As such, the email adds that “the logistics were insurmountable and the device would simply arrive too late”.
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Yota Devices purportedly emailed a letter to backers of its successful Indiegogo campaign, citing logistical issues that are causing the company to scrap its short-term North American plans, tech site The Verge reports.
After raising almost $300,000 on Indiegogo, the highly-anticipated US version of Yotaphone 2 is cancelled. Because of these delays, Yota Devices is anxious that by the time US customers get their phones, the new 2016 YotaPhone will be ready.
For those of you who are not interested in the worldwide YotaPhone 2, you’ll have the option to request a refund.
It’s another example of the struggles of crowdfunding, but YotaPhone says its recent growth has allowed it to partner with a new manufacturer – one that can support the scalability necessary to distribute the phone in North America – for its next generation of devices. These delays would’ve conflicted with Yota Device’s worldwide 2016 device roadmap, meaning that US consumers would be getting their YotaPhone 2 while global consumers would be getting “a newer, cheaper, and better YotaPhone”.
Disappointed backers can either obtain a refund or receive the worldwide version.
So now anyone that’s backed the YotaPhone 2 on Indiegogo have two options. The unfortunate situation is that it will remain locked to HSPA+ (3G/3G+) bands and will not be active on 4G/LTE. We’re still figuring out the logistics for this, but the refunds will not be charged back to your credit card. If you’re not in the US, that’s what you would have gotten anyway. Since then it’s been an incredible experience introducing YotaPhone 2 throughout the country and seeing the genuine excitement around our innovative smartphone from operator, retail, media and development partners.
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It’s not all bad news, though, as the North American team remains committed to bringing the next iteration of the YotaPhone to North America in 2016.
