Russian tech giant Yandex unveils first smartphone Russian internet giant Yandex launches its first ever smartphone in a highly anticipated move into hardware that builds on popular service apps. The company behind the most widely used search engine in Russia and the ex-Soviet region has recently diversified to defend its market share against Google. Like its US rival, it has created a range of popular apps for services from taxi-hailing to ordering takeaway food. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES