With the launch of the aptly-named Flex ONE, Wexler is first to commercially launch a flexible ereader based on LG's Electronic Paper Display (EPD) technology. Wexler additionally claims that the Flex ONE is the thinnest and lightest ereader in the world. Weighing in at a mere 110-g (3.9-oz), the 4-mm (0.16-in) thick ereader delivers on LG's promise that EPD-based products would follow soon after the technology was announced.
Unsurprisingly for a reader based on EPD, the Flex ONE boasts a six-inch monochrome XGA (1024 x 768) display. The reader boasts a hefty 8 GB of storage, twice that of the Kindle DX, and four times that of Amazon's new Kindle, despite having a screen of identical size and being only two thirds its weight. As storage:weight ratios go, the Flex ONE is truly remarkable.
As you'd hope for a dedicated reading device, Wexler claims the Flex ONE can go weeks without a recharge thanks to its 900 mAh Li-ion battery. The device connects to a computer via a USB 2.0 port but is charged by means of a dedicated power adaptor.
Being without a touchscreen, the Flex ONE is controlled by a D-pad, while pages are turned with dedicated buttons.
The Flex ONE is compatible with ebooks in TXT, RTF, PDF, DOC, CHM, HTM/HTML, EPUB, FB2 and DJVU file formats, EPUB being perhaps the most compelling to consumers interested in commercial book releases. Note that this means the device is not compatible with a number of proprietary formats such as Amazon Kindle AZW files, though this is to be expected.
The Flex ONE will benefit from the inherent durability of LG's EPD, which reportedly withstood multiple hits with a urethane hammer without a scratch. Whether this makes the reader as impervious to damage as Wexler claims on the product page is doubtful.
E-Ink Info reports that the Flex ONE has gone on sale in China, but pricing at retail is not yet clear.
Sources: Wexler, E-Ink Info, via Good Ereader
