E Ink Display Technology

Context:

Recently, some startups have been exploring the potential of E Ink display technology in smartphones.

About E Ink Display

• E Ink Display is a specific type of E-paper screen technology often used in e-readers like the Amazon Kindle,  Kobo eReader, and Sony Reader.
• Development: The E Ink display technology was originally developed in the 1990s at MIT and is now owned by E Ink Corporation.

• How Does E Ink Display Work? 

• • The screens use tiny microcapsules filled with positively charged white particles and negatively charged black ones suspended in the fluid inside the display.
  • The white or black particles can rise to the surface by applying positive or negative electrical charges to different screen areas, creating the text and images on the display.

• Characteristics of E Ink Display

• • Enhance User Experience: The lack of a backlight and the paper-like visual experience, the matte surface and high contrast make them easily readable without causing strain on the eyes.
  • Readable: They reflect light, just like paper and makes them readable at angles and under different lightingL
  • Longer Battery Life: They require very little power since they don’t need a backlight and only use energy when the image changes, meaning they can display a static image for weeks or months without needing a charge.
  • Better Outdoor visibility: No backlight makes them easier to read under bright light conditions, unlike where legibility takes a hit under bright sunlight.
• Application: Apart from its use in Kindle devices for reading purposes, they are also being used as,
  • Mobile devices like smartphones eg. BlackBerry – Minimal Phone
  • Bus stop displays and walking direction signs.
  • Restaurants are using E-Ink menu boards.

How is E Ink Different from E-Paper?

• E Ink and E-Paper may sound similar but refer to different display technologies. 
• E-paper is a broad term for any display designed to mimic the appearance of real paper.
• Meanwhile, E Ink is a specific type of E-Paper display that uses millions of tiny microcapsules filled with positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid.
• An example of a device with an E-Paper display but not an E-Ink display is the Pebble smartwatch.
  • This cool gadget uses a low-power LCD with a reflective layer to look like paper, which is a very different implementation from E Ink.

News Source: The Indian Express

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