E-paper display with NFC connection. (Image: Waveshare)
March 19, 2020, 10:28 pm
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The manufacturer Waveshare has developed a 7.5-inch e-paper display that works without a battery. It is supplied with power and data via the integrated NFC connection.
E-ink or e-paper displays as – integrated – second screens for smartphones and tablets or as a supplement to the computer screen have already been available. The read-friendly form of display could not really prevail outside of dedicated e-book readers. The manufacturer of the Yotaphone, the in addition to the LCD, an e-ink display on the back is spring 2019 gone bankrupt. Now Waveshare is trying an e-paper display – which is supposed to get by without a battery.
E-paper display with NFC module
Waveshare can do without any connections or a power supply with the 7.5-inch screen (resolution: 800 by 400 pixels). Instead, it’s just a NFC radio module on board. The display is supplied with power and the necessary data. This can work because e-paper displays actually only consume electricity when the content on the screen is updated – that is, the pixels are rearranged. But that happens comparatively slowly, like it does at Slashgear is called. The whole thing is handled via an app. The mere display of the monochrome pictures or texts does not require any additional energy supply.
But this also means that there is no integrated lighting as with modern e-book readers. If you want to read on the Waveshare display, you need an external light source. In addition, the transmission speed for a connection via NFC is limited to 424 kilobits per second. Another limiting factor for use is that a conventional smartphone might not be sufficient in some cases. If the NFC output is too low, the manufacturer refers to a dedicated NFC reader with a micro SD card.
Waveshare charges $ 69
After all, the price for it is not that much higher than for the display alone. Instead of $ 69 for the display, the set comes with an NFC reader and a micro SD card in the Waveshare online shop $ 89 due. There are also delivery fees of at least just under ten dollars.
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