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Philips launches E-Ink monitor on the market

9.5.2023

Translation: machine translated

Attention fans of e-ink displays: Philips is launching a screen with the technology - but initially only in Asia.

Electronic paper is enjoying great popularity. Recently, many e-ink tablets have been presented. At CES 2023, one manufacturer even presented an e-ink headset. The advantages of such displays are well known from e-readers: They are more comfortable to read than normal screens because they are closer to classic paper - the pixels reflect light instead of emitting it themselves. This also makes them more energy-efficient and more suitable for bright environments where normal LCDs are too dark. On the other hand, their frame rate is poor and the colours are limited. Most e-inks can even only display black and white colours.

Would e-ink displays be suitable as monitors for text applications? Yes, says Philips. What was still a concept at CES 2022 is now actually coming onto the market in Asia: an e-ink monitor. Philips is offering the 13.3-inch display as a standalone device and as an attachment to a standard 24-inch LCD monitor.

13B1K3300: standalone e-ink monitor

The Philips 13B1K3300 is a vertical e-ink screen that looks like an e-ink tablet with a stand. The panel only displays greyscale in 4 bit. It has an aspect ratio of 3:4 and a resolution of 1600 × 1200 pixels. The pixel density is a very good 150 pixels per inch. Philips has installed a front light for use at night. This is located on the side of the panel and the brightness and colour temperature can be adjusted. There are connections for HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2 and USB-C with 65 watt power supply.

Like a tablet with a stand and more connections: The Philips 13B1K3300
Source: Philips

24B1D5600: Combination of LCD and E-Ink

Philips has also attached the same display to a monitor: the Philips 24B1D5600 consists of a 23.8-inch LCD panel on the left and the new E-Ink display on the right. The LCD with IPS panel has a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels, a rather low maximum brightness of 250 nits and a refresh rate of 75 hertz. Philips specifies the contrast as 1000:1. The LCD can be connected via DisplayPort 1.2 or USB-C. With the latter, the screen becomes a docking station including Gigabit Ethernet and 90 watt power supply.

As a combination with an LCD screen, the E-Ink is primarily intended to accommodate documents.
Source: Philips

The e-ink appendage is attached with a hinge and can be folded up to 45 degrees. For both displays to work, they each need an independent connection to the computer. They are recognised by the computer as one monitor each. Philips' idea: normal content is displayed on the LCD, documents and other text applications on the eye-friendly E-Ink.

Price and availability in Europe unknown

The new devices are priced in China at the equivalent of around 500 francs for the 13B1K3300 and 720 francs for the 24B1D5600. First retailers are already offering an import to America, but then the combination screen will cost 1600 US dollars plus shipping. It is not yet known if, when and at what price the e-ink monitors will be launched in Europe.

Cover image: Screenshot YouTube / Philips

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Samuel Buchmann

Senior Editor

Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.ch

My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.

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