Kickstarter Success: InkCase Plus E-Ink Display for Android Phonestriptypescript
The primary application area of E-Ink displays is undoubtedly the market for dedicated reading devices. For so-called eBook readers, this screen technology has offered enormous benefits in pure reading mode for years and, more recently, in expanded areas of application, such as with eReaders using Android as an operating system. Since the eBook reader boom in the USA leveled off a bit after 2011, E-Ink Holdings has been searching for ever-new applications for this screen technology to keep losses low or even reverse them.
In addition to smartwatches, price tags, wall clocks, and a multitude of other things, the company repeatedly directs attention to a secondary display for the smartphone market. Alongside the usual LCD screen on the front of the phone, an E-Ink display is meant to provide an energy-efficient display for visually less demanding tasks. The best example here is undoubtedly the YotaPhone, which has already been introduced in its second generation.
Apart from such comprehensive packages, there are also other efforts to establish E-Paper technology in the smartphone market. This is mostly realized through special cases that include the additional display. Information is sent to the display via Bluetooth. In the past, we’ve already seen one or two concepts for this, not to mention the already available PocketBook CoverReader.
Successful Kickstarter Funding for Additional Display
The InkCase Plus consists of the end device and the one suitable for the smartphone
The US company Oaxis also wants to bring such an additional display for smartphones to market but did not want (or was not able) to shoulder the financial risk for development to market readiness and launch alone. So what could be more logical than to seek direct support from the device’s potential buyers? Through crowdfunding on Kickstarter, the company aimed to raise 100,000 US dollars to be able to launch the InkCase Plus.
Starting at around 70 Euros, backers could acquire the additional display for their Android smartphone, with the funding goal being reached after just one day, and the cheaper support options are now sold out. At the current time, Oaxis has already raised 191,458 US dollars, nearly double the initial goal, and with another 16 days to go, they will likely collect even more. If you want to support the InkCase Plus via Kickstarter and purchase the device, you now have to invest at least around 85 Euros. Eventually, it will be sold for approximately 139 US dollars.
Solid Technology, No Experiments
So much for the funding possibilities of the InkCase Plus. But what does the device actually offer? It features what is now considered a tiny 3.5-inch display with a resolution of 600×360 pixels, giving it an acceptable 200 ppi – slightly less than most current eBook readers (around 212 ppi). As usual, the display can show 16 shades of gray. However, it is not mentioned which E-Ink technology is used.
The device comes without real surprises
The battery is relatively small at 500 mAh, but due to the comparatively low pixel count, it should ensure sufficiently long battery life. According to Oaxis, it is possible to have continuous reading times of 19 hours and a standby time of 7 days. The connection to the Android smartphone is made via Bluetooth 2.1, and the phone must have at least Android 4.0 (preferably 4.3). The device’s storage capacity is 32 MB.
With a weight of 45 grams, the small InkCase Plus is very lightweight, but it should be noted that this only concerns the device and not the case in which it is mounted. In total, you’ll likely carry around an additional 100 grams with your smartphone. In absolute terms, that doesn’t sound like very much, but relative to the weight of a typical 4 to 5.5-inch smartphone, it is certainly noticeable. The dimensions are 106.7 x 58.4 x 5.2 mm. The depth of 5.2 mm, along with the weight, will be hard to hide in a pants pocket.
Even though you can use the InkCase Plus to answer phone calls and control various other smartphone functions, the two main advantages are, at least currently, relatively simple: On one hand, notifications can be read directly from the E-Ink display without activating the smartphone. This means that the power-hungry LCD or AMOLED display can remain off. On the other hand, the additional display is always with you, allowing you to use the smartphone with the help of the InkCase even in direct sunlight for reading. For this, the device supports both iReader and EpiReader programs. Additionally, there will be an SDK for developers to control the secondary display with other apps.
Finally, you can take a look at the device in this hands-on video from Computex 2014:
Thanks for the tip, ironrudi!
