Although E Ink’s digital paper expertise thrives on units like e-readers and e-notes, it’s much less splendid for units designed for excess of simply studying and note-taking. So whereas Dasung’s new Link would possibly appear to be a cellphone, it’s truly a pocket-friendly E Ink screen that’s designed to occasionally connect to a consumer’s extra succesful smartphone.

In latest years, with the arrival of digital paper screens that may show full colour textual content and pictures, we’ve seen a handful of firms launch E Ink-based smartphones designed to make observing them for hours simpler on the eyes, and to leverage the low energy consumption of E Ink screens to assist maximize a cell system’s battery life. But the restrictions of digital paper expertise, together with screens with low refresh charges, have meant these units, just like the Hisense A5C we examined again in 2020, have been type of terrible.

We’ve been spoiled by the attractive full colour, excessive decision screens on smartphones from Apple, Google, and Samsung, so with its new E Ink-based Link, Dasung isn’t attempting to compete with any of these units. The Link would possibly look like a smartphone, but it surely’s as a substitute designed to connect with Apple or Android-based units wirelessly, or with a cable tether, and function a compact exterior show that simply so occurs to convey with it the advantages of digital paper expertise for sure duties.

The E Reader Channel has shared Dasung’s product launch video for the Link on YouTube (it begins at across the 9 minute, 12-second mark) and whereas it’s all in Chinese, a few of the key options of the system have already been translated and shared on-line. It includes a 6.7-inch black and white E Ink show with a 300 pixels per inch decision, adjustable display lighting, and touchscreen capabilities permitting the UI of a linked smartphone to be operated with out having each units open in entrance of a consumer.

The normal thought is that customers can swap to the Dasung Link for duties like studying ebooks, emails, text-heavy web sites, and even texting, whereas reaping the advantages of E Ink screens. And whereas Dasung does declare the Link presents a “Turbo” refresh mode that makes scrolling seem quicker and smoother on its digital paper show, customers will nonetheless need to swap again to their smartphones for gaming or watching video content material.

The Dasung Link is on the market for pre-order beginning right now in China in three totally different fashions: one which connects wirelessly to iOS units, one which connects wirelessly to Android units, and a thinner, much less power-hungry mannequin that skips wi-fi connectivity for a USB-C connection to sure smartphones from firms like Huawei and Samsung. Pricing particulars haven’t been introduced but, however we’re hoping the system is a nearer match to fundamental e-reader fashions than the pricier E Ink smartphones we’ve seen launched up to now.