Japan’s SKT Corporation has begun to sell what it claims are the world’s first curved E-ink monitors (h/t PC Watch Japan). These are 25.3-inch monitors with 3200 x 1800 pixels and a subtle curvature of 4000R. The new Dasung 253U-F comes with a built-in front light to illuminate the display, but the 253U-NF lacks this feature, so it will require good ambient light.
If the Dasung 253U-F and -NF sound familiar, it is probably because they are based upon the same brand’s Paperlike 253 with a flat E-ink display, which we wrote about back in 2021. Even though a couple of years have passed, the specs (except for the curve) appear very similar.
| Header Cell - Column 0 |
Dasung 253U-F (253U-NF) monitor |
|---|---|
|
Screen |
25.3-inch E Ink screen with 3200 x 1800 pixels 16:9 aspect ratio, and 4000R curvature |
|
Panel lighting |
Yes (no) |
|
Ports |
HDMI, Display Port, USB-C x 1, USB-A x 3, USB-B (in), 3.5mm audio out, speaker |
|
Stand |
Height, pivot, and tilt adjustable stand uses a standard VESA 100x100 mount so you can use your own alternative stand / mount |
|
Physical |
Aluminum alloy construction, 604 x 374 x 8 mm, 3.3 kg (not inc stand) |
|
Modes |
Graphics mode, text mode, video mode |
|
OS support |
Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, iOS |
|
Price |
$1,798 ($1,698) |
Taking two years to introduce a new 25.3-inch E-ink monitor with the only noticeable difference being an almost imperceptible curve doesn’t make us highly impressed. Typical immersive curved PC displays are now 1800R or 1500R, and you can see the slightest curve, but only from some choice angles of the Dasung 253U.
Despite this hard-to-perceive curve, SKT’s marketing folk seem insistent that the form of the new screen “provides an immersive e-paper experience.” What kinds of content will you want to be immersed in, on a mono screen like this? Monitor mode selections point to customers using these monitors for textual content creation and consumption, as well as reading comics and watching videos.
The slightly more expensive Dasung 253U-F with front lighting is probably worth it for consistent readability under variable lighting conditions. This model’s lighting is adjustable for color temperature, which users may like to adjust depending on preference, ambient lighting, and time of day. SKT says it provides software that provides easy access to these settings. The lighting can also be tuned off. We’d like to see some auto-settings like lighting intensity and temperature reacting to ambient / time, but the PR doesn’t mention this kind of software intelligence.
US customers can now grab these curved E-ink monitors directly from the Dasung US online store. We note that there are also wireless versions of the monitors which can be selected. Moreover, the expedited US shipping seems reasonable at under $3, which might make you feel more generous when you reach the checkout procedure's ‘add tip’ section.
In related news, another 25.3-inch Dasung E-ink monitor, this one featuring a 4096 color screen, was announced back in August. Despite a successful IndieGogo crowdfunding conclusion several weeks ago, an update on the product status suggests Dasung is still waiting for E-ink Holdings to fulfill its screen orders for monitor production. Apparently, this waiting period is “as planned,” so crowdfunding backers shouldn’t be concerned.
