I still don’t have any evidence that this ereader is actually available, but it now appears that at least two color ereaders have been announced in China.
The iFlytek eBook is a 6″ ereader with an unknown price tag and an unspecified ship date. According to coverage from China, it uses E-ink’s new 4,096 color Just Print screen.
Details are rather scare on the iFlytek eBook (which is why I seriously suspect it’s vaporware). Everyone is reporting that it has a 24-LED frontlight, support for TTS and music via a built-in speaker, but other details like RAM, CPU, Wifi, and touchscreen tech are still unknown.
What I do find interesting is that several sites mention that the screen has two modes, one for black and white and another for color. Here’s the fun part: the color mode is 212 PPI, while the black and white mode is 300 PPI.
Edit: Color screen resolution is unknown. Some sources say this screen tech can display color at 212 PPI, while Pocketbook says the screens going into their device have a color resolution of 100 PPI. (I trust Pocketbook.)
I asked E-ink for more info on why there’s a difference, but given the current crisis it might take them a while to get back to me.
It does exist. I touched it in person last week.
Lucky you!
Since Pocketbook seems to have annouced a 200-EUR 300-dpi 6-inch colour ereader for Q3, this might give a hint, as regards the unspecified ship date for the Chinese device: https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Pocketbook-kuendigt-eBook-Reader-mit-Farbdisplay-an-4703231.html
Thanks for the tip!
[…] quarter, and that it will sport the 4,096 color E-ink screen sported by the two Chinese ereaders announced last month. Coincidentally, neither of those devices have shipped yet, and now I think we know why […]