While E Ink is usually associated with eBook readers like the Kindle or NOOK, the folks at Dasung have been making E Ink monitors since 2015. They’re not particularly cheap, they have lower screen refresh rates than a typical LCD display, and they only display grayscale colors… but they’re low power, sunlight readable, and offer a bit more of a distraction-free experience.
Now the company is getting ready to launch a crowdfunding campaign for a new model called the Dasung Paperlike Pro 2019. It’s the company’s first model to include both a frontlight and touchscreen support.
The new monitor features a 13.3 inch, 2200 x 1650 E Ink Carta display, HDMI input, and a capacitive touch panel with support for multi-finger gestures including pinch-to-zoom.
Dasung says the display is compatible with PC, Mac, or mobile devices including smartphones and tablets.
Here’s a video showing the Paperlike Pro 2019 in action. Note that the YouTube video description says the monitor has a 1600 x 1200 pixel display, suggesting that we’re looking at pre-release hardware, since the crowdfunding page states that the device will ship with a higher-resolution screen.
There’s no word on the price yet, but I think it’s safe to say it will cost a lot.
Dasung’s Paperlike 3 is currently selling for $1299, and that model doesn’t have a touchscreen.
Update: The Dasung Paperlike Pro went up for pre-order in May for $698 and up and it should begin shipping in August, 2019. Retail prices are expected to start at $998.
