TPA announced this week a new technology, NXTPAPER. And ink colors. It could totally change the way we think about e ink.
Electronic ink displays are great to watch even for many hours and perfect for reading books (sometimes even comics). Recent color E Ink displays have low resolution and low refresh rates: this makes them unusable for video. TCL claims to have solved the problem with NXTPAPER.
From TCL's (somewhat confusing) press release I read comparisons between this NXTPAPER e-ink technology and E Ink displays, but also LCD displays.
An electronic ink medium capable of rivaling even traditional displays?
The press release states that the color E Ink display will be 36% thinner of the LCD displays e 65% more energy efficient, which is in line with the performance you get from e ink. NXTPAPER's e ink technology would therefore perform like electronic paper, but be visible like LCD. Not bad, I'd say.
I loved the first courses with color electronic ink. For me they were a kind of dream, I had been hoping for their arrival since the first Kindle that came into my hands. But the current ones are full of flaws, with a paltry resolution of 100 PPI and slower refresh rates.
E Ink has promised to at least double the resolution to 200 PPI by 2021, with the aim of reaching 300 PPI (the resolution of high-end LCD displays and E Ink monochrome displays) only at a later date.
NXTPAPER drops a significant ace with color e ink: it claims that its display will be full HD, and that the text displayed will have a contrast 25% higher compared to traditional devices and ink.
Our display will offer a paper-like viewing experience in full color, with no flickering and no harmful blue light.
TCL press release
Is this the beginning of the war?
Currently, the E Ink company is the leading manufacturer of electronic ink displays and the technology behind them. TCL is a “young” challenger that has quickly made a name for itself in the TV and phone display arena. Looking forward to receiving (and of course giving you) further updates on NXTPAPER, I applaud the news.
The display and ink space is getting interesting. I can't wait to flip through my favorite magazines (carrying them ALL with me) on a device lighter than a feather.
