Why it matters: E-ink computer monitors have been around for a while now, but they've had limited appeal due to their low refresh rates and lack of colors, which only make them suitable for things like reading or coding. The first problem remains, but soon you'll be able to buy a 3K color e-ink monitor thanks to a little-known company called Dasung.
E-ink displays are not as popular as LCD or OLED, mainly because the color variants aren't able to keep up in terms of refresh rate or color gamut, while grayscale versions are mainly used in e-Readers or as secondary screens. Still, that doesn't stop companies like Dasung from trying to carve out a new niche for the technology.
The Chinese display company has been working on what appears to be the world's first color e-ink computer monitor. Simply called "Paperlike Color," the new monitor is equipped with a 25.3-inch E-Ink Kaleido 3 display, which has support for 4,096 colors. As with all e-ink displays, it will be easier on the eyes since it relies on ambient light to be readable.
More importantly, the monitor sports an impressive 3,200 by 1,800 resolution (16:9 aspect ratio), which translates into a density of 145 pixels per inch. A taller aspect ratio would have been nice to see, but since the new monitor looks almost identical to the Dasung Paperlike 253, we assume the company reused its design to save on manufacturing costs.
Just like its older brother, the Paperlike Color appears to be targeted at people whose job involves staring at a monitor for several hours every day. Dasung says the new monitor features a high refresh rate mode and built-in stereo speakers which should make it more usable for things like web browsing and watching videos.
Connectivity options are quite decent and include DisplayPort, HDMI, and USB-C, and you can also mirror screen content from a mobile device using Miracast or AirPlay. The included stand lets you rotate the display 90 degrees for use in portrait mode, and Dasung says it's also working on a curved screen variant with a "comfortable 4000R curvature."
The company has yet to offer any details on price and availability, but in typical Dasung fashion, there's a preview page for an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign here. For reference, the Paperlike 253 retails for $1,999 (or $1,748 on Dasung's website), and Dasung says it will offer early bird discounts for Indiegogo backers.
https://www.techspot.com/news/99618-little-known-chinese-company-working-color-e-ink.html
