While E Ink readers and tablets are great for long-battery, eye-friendly consumption of text in grayscale, color performance can be somewhat disappointing. Taiwan's Hannspree has introduced a paper-like e-note that aims to do better.
The HannsNote2 features a proprietary reflective display technology called ecoVision that essentially offers LCD-like screen performance, but doesn't come with LED backlighting. This means that, like E Ink, it relies on ambient light but offers much better color quality and refresh rates.
Even the best E Ink devices available can only manage thousands of colors, which means that magazines, comics and documents or books can lack pop when compared to tablets or smartphones. The Hannspree technology can manage 16.7 million colors – though as it reflects ambient light, users will have a much better experience in bright sunlight than partial shade.
Refresh rates are also more in line with LCD tablets than E Ink readers, with the 10-inch e-note boasting a video-friendly 60 Hz while also having a typical response time of five milliseconds, 1,200 x 1,600-pixel resolution (194 ppi), a 120-degree vertical/horizontal viewing angle and anti-glare properties. It's also been certified eye-friendly by TÜV Rheinland.
Android 13 runs the show, supported by quad-core processing, 4 GB of low-power RAM and 64 GB of storage, and the e-note comes with a stylus for pen input via the capacitive touchscreen. Getting online to watch YouTube videos is made possible with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 is cooked in too, and there's a 2-MP autofocus camera in front for videochats.
The e-note measures just 4.9 mm thin (0.2 in) and tips the scales at 350 g (12.35 oz), and its 2,200-mAh Li-ion battery is reckoned good for up to 4.5 hours of e-book reading, up to 3 hours watching videos or 72 hours on standby.
The HannsNote2 was launched in Taiwan earlier this year and is now available in Europe now for a suggested retail price of €329 (about US$360). The video below has more.
Hannspree will also have a booth at IFA 2024 in Berlin this coming weekend, where it will showcase new products built around ecoVision display technology – including a pair of Android 14 e-readers, 23.8-inch computer monitors with and without backlighting, and commercial signage.
Product page: HannsNote2
