Pixel Qi Achieves Milestone: 3 Million Displays Sold and New Tablets in Development
In mid-September, Pixel Qi managed to negotiate a deal with 3M to make their specialized transflective displays available in larger quantities. The business seems to be going well, as according to Pixel Qi CEO Mary Lou Jepsen, a total of three million displays have already been shipped and are in use in notebooks, netbooks, and tablets. However, aside from the Notion Ink Adam Tablet, none of these devices are known in this country.
In addition to 3M, Pixel Qi also secured All American as a new partner. All American is an electronics supplier that operates primarily in the USA but also in Asia. They now include Pixel Qi displays in their range, making them accessible to a larger number of manufacturers of consumer electronics and computers.
As if that were not enough, a deal was also struck with the Chinese company Shizu Technology, which plans to produce four new tablets with Pixel Qi displays. Although we are unlikely to see these devices in Europe, the growing popularity of this display technology could help tap into the lucrative Western market soon.
Just a reminder: Pixel Qi produces transflective displays that have the dynamic advantages of typical LCDs (i.e., smooth image transitions and display), but are significantly more readable in direct sunlight and are designed to consume less power thanks to switchable backlighting. The Notion Ink Adam Tablet was the first device with such a display but ultimately failed to impress for various reasons.
The display technology was a significant point of criticism by many testers. It’s worth noting, however, that the Notion Ink Adam is equipped with a capacitive touchscreen with a reflective glass surface, which offsets many advantages of this display technology. This technology might make more sense in notebooks and even eReaders (with infrared touchscreen). Particularly, the ability to display colors could cause a stir in the eBook reader sector, as no manufacturer has yet succeeded in bringing such a device to market.
