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E-Ink Innovations and new commercial products at IFA 2014
E-Ink Innovations @ IFA 2014 [lesen.net YouTube channel, Sept 5, 2014]
New commercial products:
- Sony
- Alcatel E-Ink Cover [SmartCover] –> E-Card (or TCL Phone Cover)
1. Sony
Sony expands SmartWear Experience range with two new additions for Lifelog – SmartBand Talk and SmartWatch 3 [Sony Mobile press release, Sept 3, 2014]
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SmartWear Experience is Sony’s vision for smart, wearable technology founded on three principles: lifelogging, flexible style and intelligent notifications
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SmartBand Talk is a powerful lifelogger, bringing call handling and voice control from your wrist, with an always-on curved 1.4” e-paper display
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SmartWatch 3 is the first smartwatch specifically designed for the latest Android Wear updates
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Desktop web interface, and open API for Lifelog app later in 2014, bringing new experiences and further opportunity for personalisation
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Announcement of Roxy collaboration for limited edition SmartBand SWR10 styles
Sony Mobile today announced the addition of two new products to its SmartWear Experience range, Sony SmartBand Talk and SmartWatch 3. Both talk to the popular Lifelog, the accompanying app designed to help you understand more about the way to live and move, so you can improve and enrich your life.
SmartWear from Sony – waterproof* wearable technology [Sony Experia YouTube channel, Sept 3, 2014]
Looking for innovative wearable tech? SmartBand, SmartBand Talk, and SmartWatch 3 are waterproof* and wearable 24/7. Log your life, smash your fitness goals, and automatically track activities. The sleek and durable designs in a range of contemporary colours mean you stay stylish – wherever you are, whatever the weather.SmartWatch 3 from Sony – The stylish way to handle music, calls and life logging.
The time has come to wear Android technology on your wrist. A beautiful stainless steel silver core unit lies within the changeable wrist straps, so SmartWatch 3 changes as often as your wardrobe does. Experience real time life logging and the power to handle messages and calls even when your hands are full. With waterproof* durability, SmartWatch 3 will even work come rain or shine. It’s here, it’s waiting and it’s all in the details.Keep up with your life with the Lifelog Android app from Sony
Connect your Sony SmartWear to the innovative Lifelog app on your Xperia smartphone, then automatically track your activities day and night. Whether you’re walking, running, or even climbing stairs, Lifelog tracks your movements, communications, entertainment and physical activity then lets you look back on the day to see where you went and how you got there – including pictures you took and music you listened to. Why track only steps and calories when you can log your whole day?SmartBand Talk – waterproof* wearable technology from Sony
SmartBand Talk from Sony doesn’t just make great arm candy, it can also handle calls, activity tracking, and voice commands. Why settle for good tech, when you have have great tech?Sony Smartband Talk – innovative wearable technology and call handling
Experience the innovative freedom of wearable waterproof technology with Sony Smartband Talk. Equipped with intelligent Lifelog technology that tracks your activity 24/7, a smart E-Ink display and voice control straight from your wrist. Take calls on the run, view appointments at a glance and listen to your favourite music, hands-free.“Life is a journey, and journeys are made up of stories and experiences that define you – this is the underlying principle for Lifelog, the Android app at the heart of our SmartWear Experience. We’re going beyond mere fitness tracking and number crunching, to help you log and preserve those emotional moments that matter” said Kunimasa Suzuki, President and CEO, Sony Mobile Communications. ”As a pioneer of smart and wearable technology, SmartBand Talk, SmartWatch 3 and Lifelog don’t merely affirm Sony’s leadership in the space, but as the innovators who dare to be different – bringing the world choice; products and services no else can, or will.”
SmartBand Talk – a powerful lifelogging wearable, with intuitive features
SmartBand Talk is a powerful lifelogger, built for users who live life to the fullest.
With its built-in microphone and speaker, SmartBand Talk comes equipped with a short call function so you can talk into it and hear your caller, with HD Voice support – perfect for when you’re on the move or your phone is out of reach. Through Sony’s integrated Voice Control1technology, you can also assign your own sounds to life bookmarks and use your voice to carry out specific smartphone operations.
SmartBand Talk’s curved, always-on 1.4” e-paper display is a fresh creative approach, based on consumer feedback. It’s low-power but highly visible and clear; you can monitor Lifelog activity, view notifications and the time at a glance.
New built-in accelerometer and altimeter sensor technology feels how you move – and how much – to provide an accurate overview of your daily physical activity; whether it be walking, running or climbing. You can see how active you were and how you have been communicating, as it pulls all of your information from your smartphone and then enables you to view it on its e-paper display screen, wherever and whenever you like.
As you’d expect, SmartBand Talk is waterproof2 (IP68 rated), and launch styles will include Black and White, with extra vibrant colours available later in the year – so something for everyone, whether blending in with your work clothes or a fun accessory to a casual outfit, allowing you to express your individual style.
SmartWatch 3 – Sony’s latest generation “smartwatch”, powered by Android Wear
After leading the market since 2007, SmartWatch 3 is Sony’s latest generation SmartWatch, but the first specifically designed for the latest Android Wear updates in close collaboration with Google. This partnership matches Sony’s leadership in smart, wearable products with Google’s software and platform expertise to create a unique wearable experience founded on both hardware and software innovation.
Android Wear organizes your information, suggests what you need, and shows it to you before you even ask. You can get messages from your friends, appointment notifications, and weather updates at a glance. It could be flight information, tips based on your interests or messages of any kind, so user input is seldom necessary. But if you need to interact with Android Wear, voice is easiest way.
Even without your Android smartphone, SmartWatch 3 is a fun and useful accessory with impressive standalone functionality. The built-in microphone, and Accelerometer, Compass, Gyro and GPS sensor technology means more accurate, more powerful lifelogging.
SmartWatch 3 offers significant step ups from SmartWatch 2, including a 1.6” 320×320 TFT LCD Transflective display for visibility in bright sunlight, set within a stainless steel back panel, for a premium look and feel. It is of course waterproof, rated IP683 – and charges via a standard microUSB port.
It has a built-in 4GB local memory, that means you can sync playlists, and simply connect with a Bluetooth headset to listen. You can do this before a run, leaving the smartphone at home and still have great music offline – you can also track that run with GPS and Lifelog.
It will be available in Classic (Black) and Sport (Lime) editions, with extra colour straps available in Pink and White after launch.
Lifelog – a personal Android application, that captures and tells your story
Downloadable from the Google Play Store, Lifelog is a fun Android app built to enable you to set and achieve goals, bookmark memorable moments, and revisit memories any time, so that you get to know yourself better.
SmartBand Talk and SmartWatch 3 both enable and present lifelogging activity and data on the wrist, but also connect to the application on your Android smartphone via Bluetooth® and NFC, once you connect to your Sony Entertainment Network3 account.
Sony is previewing a new web interface login for Lifelog, accessible from the Sony Mobile website later this year, designed to give users even more visibility and control over their lifestyle data. And, during 2014, Sony will open up the API for partners to integrate services with Lifelog or build completely fresh experiences.
Sony outlined that together with accessories brand Proporta, it would soon share SmartBand SWR10 collections featuring licensed designs from leading labels, Ted Baker and Barbour.
Sony also introduced a new collaboration with famous and popular lifestyle brand – Roxy, the female surf, snowboard, clothing and accessories brand – to bring limited edition SmartWear styles to market later this year.
SmartBand Talk and SmartWatch 3 – the fashionable new additions to Sony’s SmartWear Experience range will launch later in Autumn 2014.
2. Alcatel E-Ink Cover [SmartCover] –> E-Card (or TCL Phone Cover)
From ALCATEL ONETOUCH unveils the [6” phablet] HERO – their headline act at IFA 2013 [press release, Sept 4, 2013]
Extend your display with the E Ink Cover. Read newspapers and magazines on a second screen with this fresh digital experience. The technology enables users to read as if physical ink and paper on their mobile device with the stable image and wider viewing angle.
E Ink SmartCover [prototype] for Alcatel One Touch Hero [ARMdevices.net YouTube channel, Sept 16, 2013]
From ALCATEL ONETOUCH unveils the HERO 2 [press release, Sept 4, 2014]
HERO 2: the centre of a smart ecosystem built to users’ needs
With a host of companion devices, HERO 2 adapts to every need. It is the centre of an ecosystem of creative connected devices that users can carry, put on their desk or connect to their TV. An array of MagicFlip covers provide customised capabilities: MagicFlip DJ for music, MagicFlip LED lights up with information about missed calls, alerts or the time.
With the compact companion device Sidekick 2, users can remotely control TV, music and more. It also acts as an extension to users’ phones, allowing them to access messages, contact lists and more. The portable E-Card allows users to read notes, maps, e-books with the comfort of paper. The SmartBook functions as a smartphone in laptop form, while TVLink connects the HERO 2 to larger screens wirelessly.
With these features, accessories and companion devices, ALCATEL ONETOUCH ensures a truly versatile experience through connectivity to multiple screens. Everyone can invent their own personalized HERO 2, and unleash their unique creativity.
The HERO 2 will be available on the market in September 2014.
Reading comics with E-Card [Michael Zhou YouTube channel, July 2, 2014]
E-paper renaissance because of A4 format on a lighter, plastic substrate?
There is a nascent e-paper potential even with Onyx E430 Android 4.3″ E Ink phone [Charbax YouTube channel, May 13, 2013] promised for July 2013 delivery from Onyx International (with a 1GHz Cortex-A8 based SoC) having all of its 15+ engineering staff working on Android based E Ink solutions (including the 6” tablet shown in the video as well, although they have no idea yet what demand they could have on the market for that):
See also: BOOX on 2013 HK Electronics Fair [Onyx news report, April 15, 2013]
Imagine what kind of e-paper renaissance may come with this: E INK INTRODUCES MOBIUS, THE FIRST LARGE FORMAT FLEXIBLE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY TO GO INTO MASS PRODUCTION [press release, May 13, 2013]
May 13, 2013 – Cambridge, MA — E Ink® Holdings, “E Ink” (8069.TW), a digital signage and display visionary, today announced the upcoming release of E Ink Mobius, a new flexible electronic paper display (EPD) technology. E Ink Mobius will be the first flexible display technology that will go into mass production for a large format digital paper product based on flexible Thin Film Transistor (TFT) technology developed by Sony.
Mobius uses a TFT technology that will enable the development of much lighter and rugged products. Mobius displays can weigh less than 50% of the weight of an equivalent glass based TFT. This is particularly important for mobile products requiring larger display areas. A 13.3″ display weighs approximately 60 grams.
The ruggedness and lightweight characteristics of Mobius are due to the TFT being constructed on a plastic substrate rather than traditional glass. The technology was developed by Sony specifically for use with EPDs in cooperation with E Ink. Sony has now transferred the technology to E Ink for mass production. E Ink will start mass production of the world’s first 13.3 flexible EPD display in 2013.
“We have been working with Sony for over 10 years, and we are extremely happy to bring this technology to mass production,” said Giovanni Mancini, director of product management for E Ink Holdings. “Development of this new digital paper product by Sony confirms our belief that the ePaper market is still strong.”
Learn more about E Ink’s Mobius display technology and Sony’s digital paper product, which is the first prototype to use Mobius, by visiting the Sony booth during the 4th Educational IT Solutions Expo (EDIX) from May 15-17, 2013 in Tokyo, Japan; or by visiting the E Ink booth at the upcoming Society for Information Display (SID)’s Display Week 2013 International Symposium and Exhibition from May 21-23 in Vancouver, Canada.
About E Ink Holdings
Founded in 1992 by Taiwan’s leading papermaking and printing group YFY (1907.TW), E Ink Holdings Inc. (8069.TW) is the pioneer of TFT and ePaper business in Taiwan. Its corporate philosophy aims to deliver revolutionary products, user experiences, and environmental benefits through advanced technology development. This vision has led to its continuous investments in the field of ePaper display as well as its 2008 acquisition of Hydis Technologies, manufacturer of the world’s best wide viewing angle LCDs and its 2009 acquisition of E Ink Corporation, the worldwide leader in ePaper. Listed in Taiwan’s GreTai Securities Market and the Luxembourg market, E Ink Holdings is now the world’s largest supplier of displays to the eReader market. For corporate information, please visit www.einkgroup.com; for EPD information, please visit www.eink.com / tw.eink.com; and for FFS information, please visit www.hydis.com.
The development of a 13.3-inch “digital paper” aims to achieve “digital paper solutions” [Sony Corporation Japan press release, May 13, 2013] as translated by Google and Bing with manual edits
Sony aims to deliver the digital paper solution for “digitization of documents and materials, including paper” which helps in field offices and universities that use large amounts of paper in order to improve productivity and learning effectiveness by the means of a newly developed 13.3-inch*1 “digital paper” terminal equivalent to A4 size .
Due to delivery, storage, writing and sharing of electronic files that take advantage of the “digital paper” terminal through the network, Sony proposes a new work and learning style.
Easy to write, easy to read digital paper terminal
The newly developed display for the digital paper terminal adopts the latest type of 13.3” and 1200 x 1600 dots resolution flexible electronic paper*2 technology using Sony’s original technique of forming a high precision thin film transistor (TFT) on a plastic substrate. It is as easy to read the fine print on it clearly as on the paper because of the sufficiently large screen while you can carry it easily as well (6.8mm*3 thickness and light body, yet large screen for a mass of 358g). Moreover you can also read in layout and size of a 13.3-inch paper document since it corresponds to A4 size. Furthermore, with adoption of electromagnetic induction method and the optical touch panel technology an accompanying pen can also be applied to the operation of the paging and menus by touching the screen, to write as smoothly as on the paper.
With the file format corresponds to PDF you can save highlights, sticky notes and handwriting with the documents.
In addition, since it is equipped with Wi-Fi function, it is planned to support applications to share files across a network. Furthermore, because it is equipped with a microSD memory card slot*4, you can cope with keeping and utilizing a large amount of documents.
Despite the large screen flexible electronic paper is available for about up to 3 weeks*5 on a single charge because of its low power consumption.
Sony aims to commercialize this new terminal in the 2013 fiscal year[ending March 2014].
*1: 13.3-inch is equivalent to the size of an A4 paper excluding the margin size.
*2: Flexible electronic paper, has adopted E Ink ®’s “E Ink Mobius” technology.
*3: When excluding the pen holder section.
*4: It is not supported to microSDXC copyright protection and function (CPRM).
*5: With Wi-Fi feature off, if you are viewing PDF files (text) for one hour a day and using handwriting features for less than 5 minutes.
Actual operational duration of the rechargeable battery depends on the state of equipment configuration and the environment of usage.
With the aim to achieve “digital paper solutions” late 2013 field trials are planned with three universities
Sony and Sony Business Solutions plan to start experimental implementation of “digital paper solutions” in the field of education by providing “digital paper” terminals to be utilized in the classrooms of Waseda University, Ritsumeikan University, and Hosei University during the fall semester of 2013. The aim is to enhance learning efficiency with the “digital paper” terminal replacing paper and teaching materials used in the university, as well as streamline the process of teaching.
The August 2012 report of the Central Education Council titled “Toward a qualitative transformation of university education in order to build a new future” shows the need for conversion to active learning with interactive discussions and debates, lectures, seminars, experiments and practice.
Sony aims to achieve early implementation of effective active learning by “digital paper solutions” through experiments utilizing the “digital paper” terminal.
Exhibited at the “4th Educational IT Solutions EXPO”
A prototype of “digital paper” terminal will be exhibited at the Sony booth during the 4th Educational IT Solutions Expo (EDIX) from May 15-17, 2013 in Tokyo, Japan.
* Please visit the event website.
Main specifications of the prototype of the “digital paper” terminal
Display
Flexible electronic paper with 13.3-inch and 1,200 × 1,600 dots
16-level gray scaleTouch panel
Electromagnetic induction type pen input for touch screen
Cleartouch Panel (optical)Built-in memory capacity
4GB
Interface
microSD memory card slot*4, micro USB port
Support file format (extension)
Complies with the PDF 1.7 specification (. Pdf)
Wireless LAN
IEEE 802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz) compliant
Rechargeable battery
Built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery
Rechargeable battery duration
Up to 3 weeks (when the Wi-Fi feature off)*5
Dimensions (height × depth × width)
233 × 310 × 6.8mm*3 (display unit 4.8mm)
Weight (including battery)
358g
3d party reports of Sony announcement:
– Sony reveals prototype 13.3-inch e-ink slate with stylus, aims to put it in students’ bags [Engadget, May 13, 2013]
– Sony’s Got A 13.3-Inch E-Reader With Pen Input, Which Is Sort Of Like A Dodo With Antlers [TechCrunch, May 13, 2013]
– Sony Unveils 13.3-inch Flexible Digital Paper E-reader [Laptopmag.com, May 13, 2013]
– Sony unveils 13.3-inch e-reader destined for students [Gizmag, May 13, 2013]
– Sony’s 13.3-inch digital paper prototype lets you scribble on e-books [Geek.com, May 13, 2013]
– Sony announces ‘digital paper’: Ultra-thin 13.3-inch flexible e-reader for universities [Digital Trends, May 13, 2013]
– Sony ‘trialling e-ink slate as textbook alternative’ [digital spy, May 13, 2013]
Sony will trial the device at three Japanese universities later this year and plans to bring it to market before the current fiscal year ends in March 2014.
It is yet to be confirmed whether the slate will be commercially released in the West.
And these are only the reports in English. There is a surprisingly large number of reports in other languages as well when one does the corresponding image based Google search on the web. Quite remarkable considering a late view that e-ink is going to die. This is definitely not the view of E Ink, as you could see from their A Tale of Two eReaders [EInkSeeMore YouTube channel, Nov 12, 2012] video:
And don’t forget the company already achieved “roll to roll” production, so with new plastic substrate technology they will be able to further increase their manufacturing efficiency:
E Ink and Epson achieve world-leading ePaper resolution
PVI Joins Hands With Epson to Produce E-Paper Displays [May 23, 2011] (emphasis is mine)
PVI`s chairman Scott Liu said that the cooperation marks his company`s entry into the commercial and educational segments, indicating that the company`s e-paper displays will be produced for not only consumer use, but also professional purposes in the future.
To achieve better visibility of Japanese and Chinese words displayed on electronic screens, the two parties are determined to jointly develop 300-dpi, high-resolution e-paper displays, which will be mainly used in commercial and educational e-book readers with screen sizes of 11 inches and above and sold in Japan and mainland China.
In the cooperation, Epson will take charge of manufacturing and providing a high-speed display controller platform for e-paper displays, which incorporates a display controller IC, processor, power supply control IC and related software for optimal operability.
Meanwhile, PVI is engaged in manufacturing and promoting the 300dpi e-paper display, which, with screen sizes of 9.68 inches, 11 inches or above, boast lightweight design, low power consumption, and a vivid, easy-to-read display of words and images.
Accordingly, the cutting-edge product has been sent to customers of e-book readers and system integration for certification and will be set for volume production in the fourth quarter of this year at the earliest.
E Ink and Epson achieve world-leading ePaper resolution [May 16, 2011] (emphasis is mine)
TOKYO, Japan and HSINCHU, Taiwan, May 16, 2011 – E Ink® Holdings Inc. and Seiko Epson Corporation (“Epson”) today announced the joint development of a 300-dpi electronic paper device with razor-sharp text and images for ePaper Document Reader. Combining E Ink’s high-resolution ePaper display and Epson’s high-speed display controller platform, the new device will enable the world’s highest resolution ePaper tablets. With sharply improved readability and ease-of-use the ePaper Document Reader is expected to catch on in business and education settings where huge amounts of data have to be processed, as well as in countries that use character-based text, including Japan and China.
Thin, lightweight, energy-efficient eReaders with easy-to-read, paper-like displays have won over consumers, who are snapping up ePaper devices in unprecedented numbers, causing the market to surge. Demand has also been on the rise in business and education, market segments that require exactly what ePaper provides: the fast and accurate display of enormous amounts of information. Applications in these segments demand higher resolution than that offered by today’s 160-dpi displays due to the need to crisply render, with smooth gradations, engineering diagrams, illustrations, Asian characters, and other fine or intricate content. These market segments also demand faster page navigation and sophisticated user interfaces to allow instant viewing of vast amounts of data.
“As the adoption of eReaders continues to rise worldwide, the opportunities for our EPD technology are expanding in new market segments including business and education,” said Scott Liu, chairman of E Ink. “We continue to improve E Ink’s technology to meet the demands of our customers and the needs of consumers, and this new EPD delivers the low power, sunlight readability and thin, lightweight form factor users have come to expect from E Ink at an even higher resolution.”
“We developed this device specifically to meet the high data demands of business and academia,” said Torao Yajima, managing director at Epson. “Our IC controller and processing power enables the display to handle large files while maintaining the excellent display control and operability found in today’s EPDs, including fast page navigation and a sophisticated user interface.”
Epson’s high speed controller platform is an ideal choice for developers who wish to develop high resolution eTablets with ease and within a very short period.
The respective roles of E Ink and Epson and the products they offer are described below.
E Ink
E Ink will manufacture, sell and support the newly developed 300-dpi ePaper displays, which measure 9.68 inches on the diagonal and have 2,400 x 1,650 pixels. These paper-like, high-resolution displays demonstrate in full the very best features of ePaper: crisp and clear text and images on an easy-on-the-eyes screen, a thin and light form factor, and ultra-low power consumption.Epson
Epson will manufacture, sell and support a high-resolution, high-speed display controller platform optimized for controlling E Ink’s high-resolution display. Leveraging Epson’s experience with image processing technology developed for photo-quality printers, the display controller platform combines a display controller IC, applications processor, system power management IC, and firmware to provide excellent display control and improved operability.Moving forward, E Ink and Epson plan to continue collaborating to promote the popularization of ePaper based devices in the business and education markets by developing technology, expanding and upgrading the product lineup, and providing customer support.
Exhibition plans, high-resolution e-paper device
The jointly developed device will be on display at the E Ink booth at SID, to be held in Los Angeles from May 15 to 20.Related links
News release about Epson’s high-speed, high-resolution display control platform: http://global.epson.com/newsroom/2010/news_20101027.html.
Epson to Provide Display Controller Platform that Sharply Improves e-Paper Product Performance [Oct 27, 2010]
– Platform to enable laser-quality images and high-speed refreshes –
Seiko Epson Corporation (“Epson”, TSE: 6724) today announced that it has developed a new display controller platform for electronic reading devices and other electronic paper products that provides laser-sharp image quality and rapid refreshes. The company will begin shipping the platform to e-paper-based product manufacturers in April 2011.
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The display control platform will enable e-paper product manufacturers to speed up their time to market by allowing them to efficiently develop products with fast display refresh times and the ability to display images as sharp and clear as any produced by a laser printer. Notably, the platform will facilitate the development of products for business and education applications, which typically require higher image quality and faster displays.
Epson is the world’s no.1* supplier of controller ICs for e-paper displays, partnering with E Ink Holdings Inc. of Hsinchu, Taiwan, the world’s number 1 supplier of e-paper.
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The display controller platform employs a newly developed e-paper display driving scheme that is unlike those used in current e-book readers. The new driving scheme capitalizes on high-speed image processing technology originally developed for Epson’s photo-quality printers to enable e-paper displays with resolutions of 300 dpi and higher to be refreshed at high speed, which is ideal for higher education, professional office and general business environments.
E-paper devices outfitted with the display controller platform and a high-resolution e-paper display will render intricate content, such as “kanji” characters, mathematical formulas and engineering drawings, as well as illustrations, photographs and other images that require smooth gradations, much more clearly than current e-paper displays. They will also be able to flip through the pages of an e-book much faster than existing e-readers. When combined with sensors, these devices will provide powerful handwriting recognition, a critical function for business applications. The sharp improvement in readability and usability are expected to fuel the popularity of e-paper products in Japan, China, and other regions where Chinese characters are used, as well as in business and education applications where huge amounts of data have to be processed.
E Ink Announces Next Generation Display Platform [July 1, 2010]
E Ink® Corporation, the leading developer and marketer of electronic paper display technology, today announced the Q2 release of its next generation display technology, Pearl. With Pearl, E Ink expands the capabilities of reflective displays, bringing electronic paper performance to the next level. With the whitest reflective displays in the industry, and a contrast ratio now approximately 50 percent greater than today’s products, text on Pearl “pops” from the page, enabling a reading experience most similar to reading text on printed paper.
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The E Ink Pearl design builds on the current generation of Vizplex designs, which is used in millions of eReader devices today. Due to a unique and proven two pigment system that is extremely stable, the current E Ink products in the market today have demonstrated long life and high reliability, enabling a whole new class of consumer products.
Images and text become crisp on the screen as the contrast between the background and item of interest is increased. E Ink Pearl raises the bar for displays used in digital reading. This allows for eReaders to go from a contrast ratio typical of newspapers, to a higher contrast ratio typical of paperback books. The crisp text and detailed graphics also continue to remain pleasant to view when E Ink products are enjoyed outside. In addition, with 16 gray level depth, E Ink Pearl offers the sharpest rendering of images and allows product developers to display images with smooth tones and rich detail.
E Ink Holdings EPD prospects are good
See also:
– Hydis
– E Ink Holdings (8069.TWO) Initiate at Buy: Dual Growth Engines to Propel Earnings [comprehensive 32 pages evaluation by Citi Investment Research & Analysis, a
division of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Aug 4, 2011] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ and NOT ONLY FROM PURE SHARES AND FINANACIALS POINT OF VIEW
Updates:
– EIH posts sharp revenue declines in December [Jan 9, 2012]
E Ink Holdings (EIH) has announced consolidated revenues of NT$1.59 billion (US$52.57 million) for December, 2011, a sharp decline of 55% sequentially and 57% on year. For all of 2011, revenues totaled NT$38.43 billion [US$1.27B], increasing 53% from a year earlier, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
Affected by seasonal factors, EIH is expected to see its revenue continue to drop by a double-digit rate in the first quarter of 2012, the Chinese-language Commercial Times quoted industry watchers as indicating.
– EIH looks to reach its shipment goal for 2011 [Dec 23, 2011]
Despite a decline in revenues in November, E Ink Holdings (EIH) will still be able to reach its goal of shipping 25-30 million EPD (electrophoretic display) products in 2011 with a gross margin of 30%, according to the company.
EIH posted revenues of NT$3.57 billion (US$117.88 million) for November, up 9% on year but sown 33% on month.
While shipments of FFS (fringe field switching) panels have started generating revenues for the company, high-margin EPD products still account for the majority of EIH’s total sales, allowing the company to maintain a gross margin of over 30%, indicated industry sources.
– E-book reader sales are tripling every year [Aug 17, 2011]
Display Search, a market research firm that is putting on the onference, estimates that e-book display emand could hit around 27 million units this year. That’s about three times the number sold in 2010. It shows that e-book reader sales are holding on to a slice of the portable market, despite
challenges from Apple’s iPad tablet computer.“This technology has already merged and it is in the mass market,” [chief marketing officer Sriram] Peruvemba said.
The competition between e-book readers and Apple’s tablet is a familiar one. It’s like using a specific-purpose device, or using something like a Swiss Army knife. So far, the e-book reader has survived because it has done a better job of providing an electronic reading experience to consumers.
Due to the popularity of the Kindle, e-book reader sales have tripled every year since 2006. That’s a lot of progress for a new kind of display, dubbed an ePaper display, that debuted with the sale of about 100,000 units in 2006. Last year, E Ink Holdings generated $650 million in sales, and this year it expects to surpass $1 billion in revenue, Peruvemba … said.
…
In its history, E Ink raised $150 million and it will exceed $1 billion in revenue. By comparison, makers of organic light emitting displays have spent perhaps $30 billion and have yet to make a return on that investment. That’s the nature of the display business. E Ink estimates it is the most profitable company in displays. It helps to have a novel idea.
A 6″ E Ink Pearl panel running on the Freescale i.MX50 EVK, showing the quick refresh rate possible with such a setup:
– E Ink Holdings hikes 2011 EPD shipments to 25-30 million units [July 29, 2011]
– E INK HOLDINGS AND CPT COOPERATE TO EXPAND EREADER AND TABLET MARKETS [July 19, 2011]
Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd. (TAIEX: 2475; “CPT”) and E Ink Holdings Inc. (TAIEX: 8069; “E Ink”) jointly announced today that each of their board of directors had passed a resolution, enabling E Ink to make an investment into CPT with a view to strengthen their collaboration in technology and in production capacity. Through this investment and cooperation, both companies expect to further expand electronic paper and FFS (Fringe Field Switching) panel business. The strategic alliance will further solidify their existing leadership position in eReader, tablets and other mobile devices markets.
The investment will be a total of NT$1.5 billion [US$ 52M] in the form of unsecured convertible bonds issued through private placement in Taiwan. The conversion price will be at NT$3.25 per share. This issue, expected to be completed by the end of July this year, is for a period of 3 years.
This investment enables the expansion of panel production capacity and exchange of related technological information between the two companies. This investment is also aimed at improving the utilization of CPT’s production lines and enabling them to focus on higher-end value-added products.
“This cooperation will strengthen E Ink’s capacity to meet the demand of the fast-growing eReader market while CPT can better utilize their 6th-gen fab,” says E Ink’s Chairman Scott Liu. “More importantly this strategic alliance will expand the relevant markets for both companies”.
The co-operation is expected to result in an integrated supply chain. CPT will also manufacture FFS LCD displays, thereby expanding Hydis’ FFS manufacturing capacity. FFS technology based LCD are the market share leaders in displays for tablets and other mobile devices, just as E Ink’s dual pigment ePaper technology is the market share leader for eReader displays. E Ink’s investment will secure a steady supply of display panels for both its EPD and FFS business.
Hanvon first to adopt E Ink-developed color e-paper display [June 15, 2011] (emphasis is mine)
Hanvon Technology, the largest China-based vendor of e-book readers, is the first client adopting a color e-paper display developed by Taiwan-based E Ink Holdings (EIH) and will launch 9.68-inch color e-book readers in the China market in July, according to EIH chairman Scott Liu.
Booming sales of tablet PCs have not impacted global demand for e-book readers, with both market segments growing fast, Liu said, adding global shipments of e-paper display products in 2011 will double or even triple those of 2010.
The average production cost of e-paper displays will drop by 15-20% every year in the near future, approximately offsetting annual decrease of 15-20% in average selling price (ASP) of e-book readers, Liu noted.
Touch e-book readers tend to become a trend, with touchscreens mainly based on infrared and electromagnetic technologies.
End of Updates
EIH sees EPS more than double on year in 1Q11 [April 28, 2011] (emphasis is mine)
Electrophoretic display (EPD) maker E Ink Holdings (EIH) has reported net profits of NT$1.67 billion (US$57.71 million) on revenues of NT$10.09 billion for the first quarter of 2011. The earnings translated into an EPS of NT$1.56 for the quarter, which were more than double the NT$0.70 a year earlier but down from NT$1.80 recorded in the previous quarter.
Shipments of EPD products will stay flat in the second quarter due to conservative buying from the LCD segment, and therefore second-quarter revenues will be down slightly from the levels recorded in the first, according to company chairman Scott Lin.
Sales of EPD products contributed 60-70% to EIH’s total revenues in the first quarter and LCD products made up the remaining 30%, the company noted.
With demand for e-book readers expected to continue growing, the global market for EPD products is likely to expand 2-3 fold on year in 2011, EIH estimated.
Amazon’s recent move to cut the price of Kindle e-book readers from US$139 to US$114 in the US market will help drive up EIH’s shipments of e-paper, EIH asserted.
Global sales of EPD products increased 300% in 2010 after the launch of iPad, and so the launch of iPad 2 will have a limited impact on the e-paper industry, EIH commented.
See also the latest update: E Ink and Epson achieve world-leading ePaper resolution [May 23, 2011]
Digitimes Insight: 2011 global e-book reader shipments to reach 27 million units [April 28, 2011]
Demand for e-book readers remained strong in first-quarter 2011, with global shipments soaring 236% on year to 4.8 million units. Digitimes Research believes global e-book reader shipments will reach 27 million units in 2011.
Among the brand-name vendors, Amazon will continue to be the market leader with an 60% share of global shipments in 2011. Barnes & Noble may hold on to second place, but its gap with third-place Sony will narrow.
North America will remain the biggest market for e-book readers, accounting for 72% of global shipments, but growth in the area is slowing down. E-book reader vendors are now aggresively expanding their presence in the Europe market, which is registering higher-than-average growths.
Monotone e-book readers will remain the mainstream in the next three years, during which no breakthrough in developing color devices can be expected. Global e-book reader shipments will reach 63 million units by 2014.
Source: Digitimes Research, April 2011
E Ink posts strong revenue gains in 1Q11 [April 8, 2011]
Electrophoretic display (EPD) maker E Ink Holdings (EIH) has posted consolidated revenues of NT$3.36 billion (US$115.94 million) for March, up 18.3% sequentially and 79.6% on year.
For the first quarter of 2011, revenues reached NT$10.09 billion, increasing 101.2% from a year earlier. Both the monthly and quarterly figures were the company’s highest records.
Strong marketing for the Kindle e-book readers by Amazon in Europe helped boost EIH’s shipments of EPD products in March, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.
E Ink to add investment in China subsidiary [March 31]
Electrophoretic display (EPD) maker E Ink Holdings (EIH) has decided to add investment of US$8.0 million in its China-based subsidiary, Transcend Optronics (Yangzhou), which makes tablet PC-use LCD modules (LCMs).
EIH also has plans to take out a 5-year syndicated bank loan of NT$5 billion (US$170 million) for its own, and another US$100 million for its four subsidiaries, E Ink Corporation, Tech Smart Logistics, Transcend Optronics (Yangzhou) and Rich Optronics (Yangzhou).
EIH’s board also decided to buy back 11 million shares of its stock, equivalent to a 1.02% stake, at NT$35-55 per share from March 31-May 30, with the stock to be transferred to employees.
EIH enters EPD-based signage segment [March 16, 2011]
Electrophoretic display (EPD) maker E Ink Holdings (EIH) has ventured into advertising signage in the US, Korea, Taiwan and other markets, leveraging its Ink-In-Motion technology, according to the company.
The EPD signage business will be developed by its Surf business unit, said the company, noting that the business unit has teamed up with Neolux to promote the new business in Korea, and has also cooperated Sinopac bank to launch signage boards in Taiwan.
Supply of e-paper products remains smooth, says EIH [March 15, 2011] (emphasis is mine)
Electrophoretic display (EPD) maker E Ink Holdings (EIH) has stated that its production and shipments of EPD products have remained steady as only a small portion of components is coming Japan.
EIH purchases TFT backboards used in EPD production from Taiwan-based Chimei Innolux (CMI) and Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT), explained the company, noting that shipments of FFS panels from its Korea subsidiary Hydis have not been disrupted.
The company expects its March revenues to bounce back to its historical high of NT$3.88 billion (US$131.66 million) recorded in January after the revenues dropped to NT$2.84 billion in February.
E Ink to triple EPD capacity in 2011 [Feb 16, 2011] (emphasis is mine)
Amid increasing demand for e-paper, as well as FFS panels for tablet PCs and smartphones, electrophoretic display (EPD) maker E Ink Holdings (EIH) plans to expand its EPD capacity by 2-3 times in 2011, and will also expand its FFS panel capacity, as well as its component suppliers and OEM proportion, according to company president YS Fu.
Market sources expect EIH’s revenues for 2010 to reach NT$25.18 billion (US$856.47 million), on a net profit of NT$4.03 billion for the year. With expanding market demand and capacity, EIH’s revenues may double to NT$40-50 billion in 2011, the sources added.
In terms of EPDs, Fu indicated that the e-book reader market will continue to increase as research firm data showed that 40% of current iPad owners also own an e-book reader, and 23% of the iPad users showed willingness to purchase an e-book reader in the next year. The data also indicated that e-book readers and tablet PCs are individual products with no conflict in the market, Fu added, saying that the paper like characteristics of EPD is the major reason the e-book reader market will continue to grow.
Fu noted that e-book readers currently still focus on the commercial market and it will take time to develop the education market. With increasing content and dropping prices, the global e-book reader market is expected to reach 10 million units in 2010 and increase to 20-30 million units in 2011, of which the US market will generate the largest demand, while Europe will rapidly increase.
The tablet PC market is gaining attention, and the global market is expected to exceed 50 million units in 2011. Along with surging demand from the smartphone market, EIH’s shipments for FFS panels are expected to increase significantly, and the company plans to expand its capacity as well as looking for new OEM partners in China, in addition to its existing OEM partners Chimei Innolux (CMI) and Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT)