Once the domain of paperback replacements, E Ink has branched out to try and compete with tablets and monitors. But low refresh rates can be frustrating. Improving this has been a focus for Dasung, and now its quick-refresh monitor has launched.
Last year, Dasung inched closer to the screen refresh rates of LCD monitors with an improved version of its Paperlike Color display. But 33 Hz is still no match for other technologies that refresh at least 60 times per second.
About 6 months ago, Dasung improved on its formula again for the launch of the 13.3-inch Paperlike HD – which could manage 40 Hz. In February, it looked like the company had cracked it when the "God Level" 60-Hz Paperlike 103 went on sale in China, though international availability was an unknown at that point.
Things began to look hopeful a little while later when a "coming soon" page appeared on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, but it looks like the device has now skipped by that stage and gone straight to Dasung's online store.
At 10.3 diagonal inches, and with monochrome E Ink, the Paperlike 103 is probably not going to replace your desktop monitor, but it could serve as a secondary display for your computer, laptop or smartphone over USB-C. That said, Dasung has noted compatibility problems with Apple products, so advises use on Windows and Linux-based systems only.
At its thinnest point it measures just 5 mm (0.2 in), and it ships with a magnetic cover that can double as a stand, as well as a "stick" to prop it up. Onscreen resolution is reported to be 1,872 x 1,404 pixels, the 60-Hz refresh rate should make for fairly snappy viewing, and ghosting is given special attention from auto-clear technology.
Though capacitive touch is included, physical buttons in the left bezel offer "much simpler and more convenient" access to menus and control. An adjustable front light makes for day or night use.
The "world's first 60-Hz E Ink monitor" has already sold out of its first global production run, with Dasung reporting that folks can now join the pre-order queue for the second batch – which is expected to land in early June. The Paperlike 103 is listed at US$349.
If 60 Hz is still not fast enough for your needs, Hannspree's hybrid solution could tick your boxes. The Hybri doesn't use E Ink but can offer a paper-like reflective display in color that relies on ambient light, or can be backlit like a traditional LCD monitor. This allows for a peak refresh rate of 75 Hz, but it isn't designed as a portable option.
Product page: Dasung Paperlike 103