Gizmodo’s Kat Hannaford has a piece indicating that LG is planning begin “mass producing” flexible e-paper screens in both 9.7” color and 19” monochrome sizes.
While the prospect of color e-ink continues to be enticing (especially if they can solve the refresh rate problem to let it show video), Hannaford admits to being fascinated by the larger-sized monochrome screen. Weighing in at 130g and measuring 0.3mm thick, it could provide a basis for the newspaper-sized e-newspaper reader that Plastic Logic’s Que turned out not to be.
Of course, price and battery life are going to be important factors in how widely-adopted readers using these screens will be.
We’ve been waiting for flexible screens for how long? So far, they’ve always been just around the corner. While I’m sure they will (finally) come, my forecast is that it’ll be a couple of years before they’re actually introduced in consumer-oriented devices.
Rob Preece
Publisher
Really not sure of the point of a flexible screen, other than to prove it can be done. I already encase my slippery iPad in a rubber frame, and put it in a padded case for travel. So do I put this screen in a nice picture frame with glass cover to protect it? And this notion that all of us prefer our papers oversized, you clearly have never commuted during rush hour by public transport in NYC.
I agree with Lori here. I’ve seen the development progress of this paper over the last 10 years or more and it is exciting to see. However I can’t help wondering about the actual implementation, the form of device and the convenience. A large sized ‘bendy’ screen sound great, but how do we carry it ? do we roll it up into a ‘stick’ ? fold it up ? what ? I suspect this may end up being a far higher hurdle than the actual technology development.
I’d love to see that 19″ monochrome marketed for desktops with a USB interface. It’d be great for uses where a fast screen update isn’t important. For instance, I could edit books in a regular LCD and see the results displayed like paper on an e-paper screen. Placed on a wall, it’d also be a handy place to display work calendars, to-do lists, or incoming news.