Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Android Smartphone with e-ink display coming from China

Onyx e-ink

When it comes to reading on a digital device, it's hard to be an E-Ink screen. The text is clear and crisp, and you can easily read when the sun is shining. But would the low-powered display work on a smartphone? Chinese company Onyx thinks so. It's currently developing an Android smartphone with an E-Ink display.

The phone looks like any other Android handset—a black rectangle with a huge display. But when you turn it on, everything is in black and white. Though the phone's still in the development stage, the positives of using an E-Ink screen shine through. It's reportedly very light, weighing in at around 70 grams. Being in direct sunlight doesn't affect your ability to use it. And, like most e-readers, it can last for an entire week on a single charge.

However, there are some negatives. When compared to the displays on modern smartphones, the E-Ink display is very slow. Opening an app takes a few seconds and causes the screen to blink. Scrolling isn't as smooth as current smartphones. And there's no color.

Source: Complex Tech, Mobile Geeks