Sony announced today that it was entering a partnership with E Ink, aimed at bringing electronic displays on their future devices. The Japanese firm already has electronic book readers with E Ink screens, so this is not the first time they’re working together.
It’s also true that Amazon dominates that product segment, but Sony wants to change that. One of the most prominent results of the two firms’ partnership is the “Digital Paper” 13.3 inch electronic paper device, with active digitizer, but that’s just the beginning. Sony and E Ink have plans to work together on designing, selling and licensing e-paper products.
It’s actually a Sony branch that will work closely with E Ink Holdings, the Sony Semiconductor Solutions. Both firms will continue to function independently, but they will also work together in order to develop and market products based on electronic paper screens. We could see Sony-made E Ink screens and new technologies related to that aspect.
Such displays could even reach smartphones or smartwatches, maybe even TV sets, as secondary displays, who knows? Electronic Paper has the advantage of much lower power usage and better viewability in direct sunlight. Still, they’re far from the quality of an LCD or AMOLED.
