E Ink Intros 13.3" Flexible Electronic Paper Display
E Ink is launching a new flexible electronic paper display based on Sony's flexible Thin Film Transistor (TFT) tech.
On Monday, E Ink Holdings introduced the E Ink Mobius, a new flexible electronic paper display (EPD) technology. It will be the first flexible display technology that will go into mass production for a large format digital paper product based on Sony's own flexible Thin Film Transistor (TFT) tech.
"We have been working with Sony for over 10 years, and we are extremely happy to bring this technology to mass production," said Giovanni Mancini, director of product management for E Ink Holdings. "Development of this new digital paper product by Sony confirms our belief that the ePaper market is still strong."
According to the company, Mobius displays can weigh less than 50 percent of the weight of an equivalent glass-based TFT. This is particularly important for ODMs who want to provide larger displays in their mobile devices. Thus a 10.7-inch LCD-based display weighs an average of 1.44 pounds, whereas a larger 11.4-inch E Ink display with a plastic TFT and similar internal components can weigh only 17 ounces.
"The ruggedness and lightweight characteristics of Mobius are due to the TFT being constructed on a plastic substrate rather than traditional glass," the company said. "The technology was developed by Sony specifically for use with EPDs in cooperation with E Ink. Sony has now transferred the technology to E Ink for mass production."
The company also said that with devices that use glass-based displays, the TFT itself is often the component that fails when dropped, rather than the top pane of glass. A plastic TFT can significantly reduce display failure as a result of those drops.
E Ink Holdings said it will start mass production of the world’s first 13.3-inch flexible EPD display in 2013.
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
-
aevm Will there be a new version of the Kindle DX based on this technology? It would be great for those of us who need large fonts.Reply -
segio526 Oh marketing. The more you try to outsmart people, the more you make me dislike the product you're pushing. Why say one weighs 1.44 pounds while the other weighs 17 ounces. By doing that it feels like you're trying to deceive me (which you are). Just say the LCD tablet weighs 23.04 ounces or the e-Inc tablet weighs 1.06 pounds. Using like terms is the only way to make a true comparison, quit the tricks and let the product sell itself.Reply -
Calin Dragos George this kind of screen can be introduced on tablets as well as in smartphones since the screen is bendable. Is there any gadget manufacturer that has in plans to release one of these devices?Reply -
ynhockey When you're writing to an international audience and using imperial units, you can sort of expect people to know what miles or pounds are, but you can at least limit it to basic units. Not everyone in the world remembers by heart what is a league, stone, pint or ounce.Reply