A new family of Chinese tablets with displays that are viewable both indoors and outdoors in direct sunlight could be on the way. Chinese device maker Shizhu Technology is partnering with Pixel Qi to develop “a family of tablets.”
Pixel Qi’s displays are LCD screens that combine some of the best features of an LCD with some of the benefits of E Ink displays. When the backlight is on, the screens work like typical full color LCD displays. But when you cut off the backlight the screens use 80% less power and switch to a high contrast (nearly black and white) mode.
In this mode you use ambient light to see the screen, which means that you can use the device in direct sunlight, shine a flashslight at it, or just use a tablet or notebook with a Pixel Qi display in a fairly well-lit room.
Shizhu Technology works with publishers and media companies in China, which means that the new tablet line could be aimed at newspaper or magazine subscribers. It’s not clear whether any of the company’s new tablets with Pixel Qi displays will be available outside of China.
This summer Charbax from ARMdevices got a chance to check out several early prototypes of Shizhu tablets with Pixel Qi screens.
Pixel Qi currently produces a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display and a 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel screen. Other sizes and resolutions are already in the works.
via SlashGear
Damn that looks good in the video. Responsive as hell and fully readable outside.