E-ink isn’t something you often see associated with smartphones. There have been some exceptions to that rule with a few notable mentions coming in as the dual-screen YotaPhone and the popSLATE case which is only available for the iPhone 5. Well, coming by way of Gajah International it looks like those with a Galaxy Note II or GALAXY S 4 may soon have an option available for purchase.
These cases were unveiled during Computex and both will put an e-ink display on the backside of the phone. The cases pair with the phone using a Bluetooth connection and the display will be available for glanceable information. Some of the potential use cases include using the display as an ebook reader or to view information such as the current weather or even your horoscope.
As these cases are not currently available for sale, there does seem to be some questions remaining. A big question will likely deal with battery life, however for now it looks like those with a Galaxy Note II will be able to answer that question before GALAXY S 4 users. According to an Engadget report, the Galaxy Note II case specs have been revealed along with a price while the GALAXY S 4 case remains open and the availability will depend on potential sales and general interest.
The Galaxy Note II case will connect with the handset using Bluetooth 2.1 and feature a 4.3-inch display with a resolution of 600 x 800. This case will arrive priced at $129 and is expected to initially be available for those in China and Malaysia. Despite only one model being in the works towards a release, an image of both the Galaxy Note II and GALAXY S 4 cases has been released (and can be seen above).
Aside from the question dealing with battery life, the other item that comes to mind is whether these will prove to be a useful tool or more of a novelty. That will have to remain unanswered for now, however if nothing else we suppose having the option to remove that e-ink display (by removing the case) may be a bit better as compared to what you would get with the YotaPhone which has the e-ink display firmly attached to the backside.
SOURCE: PR Newswire
And I would buy this instead of a $79 or $119 Kindle why? I’m saying this as a Note 2 owner
Pretty expensive, but then you’d only have to carry one device. Instead of the Note II and the Kindle. maybe
Considering that the Kindle is already super light, I’ll take that added features and keep any potential battery drain. Not to mention, I’d like to keep my bluetooth connection for my headset. This is not to say that there must be *some* market for this.