Once the user has finished reading, the display can be rolled back into a pocket-sized 100mm x 60mm x 20mm device. It overcomes the big weakness of mobile devices that, in order to make them portable, they have screens too small for detailed information to be studied. This has held back internet use on mobile phones.
Philips said it is in negotiations with potential users in the mobile market, and is also engaged in talks with possible partners willing to share the financial burden of bringing the screens to market. It was unwilling to reveal names of potential customers but said it has had an encouraging reception.
The paper-thin screen has been developed by subsidiary Philips Polymer Vision using technology developed by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based E Ink Corp, which has been working since 1997 to develop what it believes will be the next medium for visual communications.
Philips is unveiling its Concept Readius device at the Internationale Funkausstellung networking exhibition in Berlin, Germany today, giving potential customers an opportunity to see a prototype of a connected consumer device for business professionals that does not sacrifice readability, performance, or weight in a pocket-sized, e-reader concept.
With four grey levels, Philips said the monochrome, 5-inch Quarter Video Graphics Array (320 x 240 pixels) display offers a high-contrast ratio for reading-intensive applications including text, graphics, and electronic maps.
The screen uses electrophoretic display effect from E Ink whereby microcapsules contain positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid. When a negative electric field is applied, the white particles move to the top of the microcapsule and become visible to the user, and when a positive charge is applied, the black particles appear at the top of the capsule, making the surface appear dark at that spot.
Philips said that although pricing will depend on volume, it is likely to be the same price as a five-inch LCD screen.
