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