Korean company Kyobo introduced the first eBook reader with a Qualcomm Mirasol display recently. The device has a 5.7 inch, 1024 Â x 768 pixel low power color screen that can handle books or magazines as well as full-motion video content.
Nicole from Netbook News got some hands-on time with the device recently, and they’ve confirmed that while the Kyobo eReader is running Google Android, has a 1 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and support for video, it’s primarily an eReader rather than a full-fledged Android tablet.
For instance, Kyobo has partnered with educational video producers to make video content available, as well as color and black and white books.
The Mirasol display can display color without a backlight, but colors aren’t as bright and vibrant as you’d find on a backlit LCD display. Unfortunately the Kybo eReader appears to have a glossy screen which means that while the device relies on ambient light, you’ll actually notice some glare if you use the device in direct sunlight.
Qualcomm Mirasol displays can also be matte though, so future devices may be glare-free.
If the display does provide significantly longer battery life for smartphones, I’d gladly sacrifice visual quality on my phone. Compared to my other devices, my smartphone is used outside the most. Also, having a dead tablet or notebook isn’t as bad to me as a dead phone.
Glossy screen? Â Who was the lead product engineer so I can chastise them?