E Ink launches Mobius flexible display for your next smartwatch
Although smartwatch makers have had access to e-paper for a while, there have been few such displays tailor-made for our wrists. E Ink is more than willing to fill that void with a new, watch-oriented version of its Mobius screen. The flexible, 1.73-inch panel won't floor anyone with its 320 x 240 grayscale picture, but it can be cut into timepiece-friendly shapes that take more abuse than a typical e-reader. More importantly for us end users, E Ink already has at least one hardware partner lined up: Sonostar is using the tiny Mobius for a smartwatch this summer, and the odds are that the company won't be alone.
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E Ink Introduces New 1.73" Flexible Mobius Display for Smartwatch Applications
COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2013
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--E Ink® Holdings, "E Ink" (8069.TW), a digital signage and display visionary, announces the addition of a 1.73" flexible display to its Mobius product line of flexible electronic paper display (EPD) technology. The 1.73" display has been specifically engineered for smartwatch and watch applications. The display is based on flexible TFT technology developed and brought to production by E Ink. The first commercial product to use this 1.73" display is the Sonostar Smartwatch announced this week at Computex in Taipei, Taiwan.
The Sonostar smartwatch was jointly developed by E Ink's subsidiary Transmart Co. Ltd and Sonostar. The smartwatch was chosen by the Taipei Computer Association as one of only 10 major product highlights at Computex, which will run from June 4-8 in Taipei, Taiwan.
The 1.73" Mobius display supports a resolution of 320X240 pixels with 16 greyscale levels. The display size and characteristics make the technology ideal for the smartwatch market. Using a flexible substrate, the 1.73" Mobius is lightweight and rugged and is conformable so the end product has a better fit for the consumer. Its low power usage and sunlight readability make this technology ideal for mobile devices. Unlike conventional displays, the 1.73" Mobius display can be cut into different shapes.
"The joint development between Sonostar and Transmart is the perfect example of the how E Ink can help its customers get their product to market," said Giovanni Mancini, director of product management for E Ink Holdings. "E Ink displays enable unique products that capture the customer's imagination. Our business development team has the expertise to help our customers design the displays into their products in ways never before thought possible."
More information on the Sonostar smartwatch can be obtained by visiting the Sonostar booth at Taipei World Trade Center Hall I (No: C0317) during Computex Taipei 2013 (June 4 to 8) or by going to www.sonostar.com/Smartwatch/. You can get more information about the Mobius 1.73" display by visiting www.eink.com.
