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Onyx is Working on an E-ink Smartphone (video)

Remember how last month E-ink showed off a smartphone prototype and promised that someone was working on the idea? I just found one.

Charbax is in China at the moment and he got his hands on the latest product from the Chinese ereader maker Onyx.  This is a straight smartphone design, not the dual sided demo unit which we saw a while back. But it is also a working unit with Wifi, 3g, and it runs Android. The prototype doesn’t have a name yet, so right now Onyx is calling it the E-ink phone.

I’m not sure what size the screen is, but it looks to me like this is the 4.3″ screen found on the Trekstor Pyrus Mini. But I can tell you that the screen is flexible, the touchscreen is capacitive, and the battery life is expected to be 1 month.

The smartphone shown below is the very first prototype, and this video s the first time it’s been seen in public. No official release date has been set but Onyx plans to officially launch it some time next year.

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Comments


Scott_T October 16, 2012 um 7:49 pm

for icing on the cake they need a screen light ala paperwhite


The Commons October 16, 2012 um 8:44 pm

Not exactly the most responsive screen…


Richard Adin October 17, 2012 um 4:27 am

I like it and because I use my cell phone to make phone calls and not watch movies or play games, would consider buying an eInk phone — but I think it is bound to fail in the marketplace unless it is very, very inexpensive to buy because it isn’t color and it is too slow for the gamers.


A smartphone with an e-ink screen – would you use it? [video] | Ebook Friendly October 18, 2012 um 3:58 am

[…] The Digital Reader. } Oct 18, 2012 r Friendly Staff ^ 1,805 readers – get free updates: RSS | Mail 9 Tweet […]


e-book-news.de » Das erste Buch, das telefonieren kann: Onyx entwickelt E-Ink-Smartphone October 18, 2012 um 6:06 am

[…] (via The Digital Reader) […]


Mister Steve October 18, 2012 um 6:33 am

Motorola actually had a mobile phone with an e-ink screen six years ago, though it definitely wasn’t in the smartphone category: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Fone

Charbax October 18, 2012 um 1:08 pm

That one was awesome, and crazy cheap, something like $25 unlocked.

Nate Hoffelder October 18, 2012 um 1:11 pm

There was also a second one, from Samsung, in 2009:
https://the-digital-reader.com/2012/09/28/trekstor-launches-new-pocket-reader-with-4-3-eiink-screen/


Kate October 19, 2012 um 9:58 am

I’m willing to buy one.


kw December 8, 2012 um 10:34 am

How about an e-ink case/cover that would display the DateTime and power level updated each minute? I would buy that in an instance.


Ash June 3, 2013 um 8:22 am

where can I buy it? They should launch it in UK. If the price is around £100, I’ll buy one now.


MD. Mohiuddin Ahmed August 1, 2015 um 4:53 am

Is it available for order now?

Nate Hoffelder August 1, 2015 um 7:02 am

It was briefly available in 2013. And then it was retired. There have been no follow up models.

Weird, I know, but it’s the truth.


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