E-Ink unveils Mobius flexible display for smartwatches
The 1.73-inch screen supports a resolution of 320X240 pixels with 16 greyscale levels.
E-Ink sees a big future in small displays.
Perhaps best known for making the display for Amazon's Kindle e-reader, E-Ink is hoping to capitalize on the growing hubbub around smartwatches with an addition Monday to its Mobius line of electronic paper displays that measures 1.73 inches. The Mobius flexible display is based on thin film transistor (TFT) technology developed by Sony.
The screen, which supports a resolution of 320x240 pixels with 16 gray-scale levels, is touted as lightweight and rugged, making it ideal for use in smartwatches. The new screen will make its debut in the Sonostar Smartwatch, which was announced this week at Computex trade show in Taipei.
Interest in wearables has exploded in recent months following reports earlier this year that Apple already had 100 people working on a much-rumored iOS-based smartwatch some have dubbed "iWatch." The iPhone maker is said to be experimenting with wristwatch-like devices that sport curved glass.
But Apple isn't alone in wanting to get its hands on the wristwatch market. A Samsung executive has said that it too has been working on wearable devices that act like smartphones. Microsoft, which dabbled in the sector before with its once-hyped Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT), is said to have requested components from suppliers in Asia for a potential touch-enabled watch device.