You may be only aware of Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s Reader, but there are now more than 45 e-reader models available worldwide, according to E Ink, the dominant technology provider for their displays.
More are expected in the coming year, including ones with smaller, pocketable displays, colour and different ways of producing the paper-like screens, the Emerging Display Technologies Conference in Silicon Valley heard this week.
(This post was first published on September 5 2009)
Jennifer Colegrove, analyst with DisplaySearch, the conference organiser, revealed forecasts of 22m units and $431m in sales this year for e-Paper displays, rising to 1.8bn units and $9.6bn in sales in 2018.
However, while e-books or readers will lead revenues, the category also covers displays ranging from electronic shelf labels to outdoor signage.
Sriram Peruvemba, marketing vice president at E Ink, showed me the latest reader to use its technology – Bookeen’s Cybook Opus (pictured left), now on sale in the US at $280.
“There’s a trend to smaller displays, this is a 5-inch one that I can put in my pocket. We’re also seeing larger 10, 12 and 14-inch devices where you can put manuals, school textbooks and newspapers on them,” he said.
The high cost is preventing e-readers from becoming mass-market products, but Mr Peruvemba sees the number of components needed falling, leading to cheaper prices.
“Many players are participating now and the cost is coming down and there are different business models, such as newspapers subsidising the cost.
“This year, we’ve already seen a $199 product, I wouldn’t be surprised if next year someone launched a product at around $159 and, three or four years from now, a $99 product.”
Colour is coming next year, with E Ink laying a colour filter over its monochrome display. While the company, which is currently being acquired by Taiwan’s Prime View International, owns the market at present, Mr Peruvemba said 20 companies were currently trying to enter the e-paper sector with differing technologies.
One potential challenger is Qualcomm’s Mirasol, a technology being demonstrated at the conference which is a nature-inspired reflective display with excellent visibility in sunlight.
However, Qualcomm was at pains to point out that it has not yet entered the e-paper market and is focusing on displays for mobile phones.
