E Ink

We recently received a set of smart e‑ink display magnets from VidaBay, and after spending some time with them, we can say this is a fun and intriguing take on personal display tech - though not without a few quirks.

The product itself makes an excellent first impression. These are thin, stylish magnets with a nice feel, available in several colors that make them visually appealing right out of the box. They are clearly designed with aesthetics in mind, and they fit nicely into modern home or office environments.

BMW unveiled its fourth car concept that utilizes external E Ink panels, the BMW iX3 Flow Edition. 

The car's front hood is covered with E Ink Prism panels, to dynamically change color. But unlike the company's previous concept cars, this one is closer to production. The company says that The iX3 Flow Edition passed BMW's stringent quality tests, meeting automotive engineering and daily use requirements. 

China-based DKE announced it is starting to produce ePaper displays on OTFT backplanes and plastic substrates. The flexible E Ink displays are branded as DKE FLEX, and are available in both monochrome and color.

The first product that DKE started to produce is a 3.9" display, used in a consumer device that wraps around a 180-degree bend (the company did not disclose the product itself).

Samsung Electronics launched a new 13" color ePaper signage device, the EM13DX. The display offers a 1600x1200 resolution, and is similar in size to an A4 paper. The EM13DX has a rechargeable battery, USB Type-C and can be deployed without permanent power cables. It can be controlled remotely via Samsung's E-Paper App and Samsung VXT.

Interestingly, Samsung says that the device case is made with a bio-resin housing derived from phytoplankton, the first display to use this new material. The display’s housing has been independently verified by global safety and sustainability certification organization UL to consist of 45% recycled plastic and 10% phytoplankton-based bio-resin.

E Ink Holdings, said that it expects its revenue and profits to both reach record highs in the next three years, as there's rising demand for large signage displays, and also strong demand for ESLs and color e-readers. 

E Ink is planning to build a new production line (which will be called H6) to expand its capacity, targeting large e-paper signage displays. The total investment in the new fab, which will be in Taoyuan, Taiwan, will be around $107 million.

E Ink is showing an interesting new application for its ePaper displays - as a small second display within a laptop's touchpad.

E Ink's concept laptop offers a color E Ink display, and the company says that such a display can be used for AI-generated text summaries that appear under your hands while you are writing. Another use case is to be able to chat with an AI agent while looking at the keyboard area rather then the screen. 

E Ink has launched its largest E Ink Spectra 6 display, at 75-inch. The company will offer first samples towards the end of 2025 for its partners and customers.

The 75-inch Spectra 6 modules can be equipped with E Ink Ripple, the next-generation waveform and algorithm architecture that enables smoother display updates and expands color options. The newest waveform transitions can increase dwell time from customers and engagement for advertisements.

E Ink announced a new 4-particle color system to enable vibrant color with an extended temperature range for outdoor and digital out of home (DOOH) signage. The company brands these new displays as E Ink Marquee displays.

E Ink says that Marquee displays offer exceptional energy efficiency and broad temperature range, making it ideal for outdoor deployments. Preliminary performance metrics for E Ink Marquee’s full-color application features an operating temperature range between -20 and 65 °C., with ongoing development of the newest displays focused on reaching sizes as large as 75” diagonal and update times between 5-7 seconds.

E Ink announced that it has signed a term ship to form a joint-venture (JV) with AUO, to jointly invest TWD 390 million (around $11.8 million USD) to establish large-sized ePaper module production lines at AUO’s Longke site in Taoyuan, with mass production expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025.

AUO (via its subsidiary ADP) will hold a 51% stake in the new JV, while E Ink will hold 49%. The new company will combine E Ink’s advanced ePaper materials and technology leadership, AUO Group’s strength in panel design, smart manufacturing, and production management, as well as ADP’s customer base and global market footprint in smart retail and digital signage sectors, driving aggressive expansion in large-sized ePaper display applications.

E Ink announced that it has developed a new technology that enabled it to reduce page flashing and enhance color performance in its E Ink Spectra displays.

By implementing a wave-like transition effect known as E Ink Ripple, screen refresh effects are minimized, enabling a smoother transition between display updates. Additionally, by leveraging the newly developed waveform driving architecture, E Ink enhances color mixing for its E Ink Spectra products by using the existing color particles to create new color options.