Electrophoretic
(E-Ink)
AKA E-Paper
A type of display technology that uses electric charges to move dark material inside microscopic clear capsules of light-colored liquid. (Or light material in dark liquid.) By moving the electrically-charged, opposite-color material suspended in the liquid from the front to the back (or vice versa) the visible color of the capsule is changed at the front side.
This type of display uses power only when changing the image. Most types can maintain a detailed still image with little or no power at all.
This is a reflective display technology, meaning light is reflected off the front of the display, instead of passing through it. Therefore there is no need for a backlight. Many electrophoretic displays can be read with only ambient light, although some may have a light source in a layer in front of the display to aid visibility in dark settings.
Because they draw power only when changing, and do not require a dedicated light source, they are extremely power-efficient.
Most electrophoretic displays have a very poor refresh rate, and therefore do not display motion well.
Last updated Jun 21, 2024 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
