Equipment: Which tablet is best for navigating? | BOOTE

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Jun. 24, 2024

Equipment: Which tablet is best for navigating? | BOOTE

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On-board navigation via app has been on the rise for years. Owners use tablets as an alternative or supplement to a plotter, while charter crews have their familiar device in their luggage. The advantages are obvious: you can use the device anywhere in the helm or below deck, you don't have to get used to a new chart image or new settings and you know exactly when the chart set was last updated. Surveys among skippers have shown that over 60 per cent of respondents use sat nav apps.

For app comparisons, we in the editorial team mostly used the top test hardware from Apple and Samsung's S series, as these are the best-selling brands on the tablet market and the app manufacturers usually optimise the functioning of the apps for them. However, the top devices also have a disadvantage: their prices have been rising sharply for years. The cheapest 10-inch model from Apple with a GPS chip (these are only the "Wi-Fi + Cellular" models) is currently available from just under 780 euros, the Air model costs almost euros and the Pro model is available from euros. Samsung's cheapest top tablet, the S9, is around 870 euros, while the somewhat simpler S9 FE is still over 600 euros. Proud prices then. If your wallet is not that deep or you only rarely use tablets at home, perhaps once for streaming or surfing the internet, cheaper tablets, which often only cost around 150-230 euros, are tempting.

Split development for tablets

So far, the editorial team has always recommended the top devices in terms of hardware because the software then usually ran 100 per cent smoothly, GPS positions always worked and there were almost no crashes. The reasons were simple: the devices have enough processor speed and plenty of RAM to avoid stutters. In addition, the displays are bright and sharp enough in sunlight because only the best of the best is usually used.

Since then, however, there has been a two-pronged development: tablets have improved at breakneck speed. Faster processors, four, six or even eight gigabytes of RAM instead of one or two, and better, brighter displays. The latter were the most common annoyance with budget tablets: the cheaper LCD versions were almost impossible to read in direct sunlight and were very reflective.

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The sat nav apps, on the other hand, remained rather similar in terms of memory requirements and processor speed. After all, there are no complex graphical refinements, and although many features have been added over the years, nothing has slowed down performance. The development of GPS chips in recent years has also increased the accuracy and reliability of positions, partly because user data has become increasingly important for various services used.

Although dedicated marine devices with external, often much larger antennas are still superior in terms of accuracy, the question is whether this plays a role, as many members of the editorial team have been using tablets or smartphones and sat nav apps for years, usually as an add-on to the on-board systems. It has been many years since anyone reported significant positioning errors. What's more, if a dedicated GPS/plotter device is installed on board, everyone can check their device for deviations at the beginning. What's more, the data from the on-board GPS devices can also be integrated into many sat nav apps via WLAN.

In the test: Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, Lenovo Tab M10 Plus and Redmi Pad SE

Reason enough for the editorial team to try out three affordable tablets from major manufacturers for mobile navigation. These are the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus and the Redmi Pad SE.

The first tangible surprise comes when unpacking. Whereas budget tablets often used to look and feel like cheap plastic devices, the three test candidates offer an almost dignified finish: high-quality looking and feeling aluminium and glass casing, narrow edges between the display and frame instead of thick black bars as in the past, which turned the 10-inch tablet into something around eight to nine inches in reality.

We experience the second, but this time very unpleasant surprise when installing the navigation apps via the Google Play app store: although the Redmi Pad SE installs apps such as Navionics Boating or ORCA, it refuses to install the NV app, stating that the device is not suitable for the app. A little research reveals an unexpected problem: The device does not have a GPS chip, although this was listed in the seller's technical specifications. A search on the manufacturer's website only reveals that a GPS chip is not explicitly mentioned as being present. Under "Location" in the operating system, there is a note that the device does not support satellite navigation, but only triangulates via the radio masts, as the cheaper iPads do. This also becomes apparent during the test run with the Navionics app: the nautical chart shows the position of our boat, but it is a good 150 metres off and also moves by 100 or 200 metres, even though we are lying still. This makes the tablet unsuitable for navigation, even if you could theoretically still use it by utilising the data from the on-board GPS. But to be honest, that's probably why nobody buys a tablet for navigation.

That leaves the Samsung and Lenovo devices. The installation of the Navionics Boating, NV-Charts, C-Map and Garmin Active Captain software works smoothly on both devices. When starting up the app, the mooring position of the test boat in Stickenhörn harbour is immediately displayed to the nearest metre. What is then noticeable, however, is that if you scroll the map image in the NV app with the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, grey bars without data remain for a second before the image is reloaded. Although this does not affect the function, it is unattractive.

With the Navionics app, however, it runs smoothly and without any problems. We know from test experience and also from the manufacturer NV-Verlag that the app requires a relatively large amount of RAM. With top devices that have four gigabytes or more, this is not a problem at all, but the Samsung only has three gigabytes in the tested version. However, a larger, more expensive version with four gigabytes is available. So if you plan to use the NV app later, you should choose a tablet model with at least four gigabytes of RAM or choose an app that can get by with less, such as the market leader Navionics. The Lenovo pad has four gigabytes and all the software we tested runs perfectly smoothly.

How the tablets react to movement and sunlight

We cast off. Both GPS positions move immediately with the first movement of the boat, so the sensitivity of the GPS chips is correct. However, despite the cursor moving correctly, the direction of travel is displayed on the Lenovo tablet for a few seconds with the arrowhead misaligned. The position of the ship is correct, but the cursor is positioned as if we were travelling backwards. Strangely enough, the problem no longer occurred later, when the boat was actually always moving slightly. Changes of direction were displayed correctly, the position did not jump and was exactly correct in the narrow passage of fixed buoys and the Friedrichsort beacon. In our test, in which we repeatedly passed fixed landmarks such as harbour entrances, sounding marks and a beacon, neither device had any problems with the position indication, the cursor moved smoothly, no jumps or skips.

After half an hour on the water, the sun comes out as hoped - important to see how the display performs in daylight brightness. Both of our budget tablets have cheaper LCDs or TFT displays, not state-of-the-art OLED variants like many high-end devices. However, there are now also many different technologies in the LCD sector, which can lead to very different, but also very good display quality.

In the auto function for brightness, both tablets appear to us to be too dark for use on board, but this is sometimes also the case with more expensive devices. The brightness must then be adjusted upwards manually. We do this and set it to maximum brightness.

The brighter of the two candidates is clearly the Lenovo, whose display is brighter and easier to read. It is also slightly less reflective if you hold the display at an angle so that the light falls on it less favourably. But of course, one of the strengths of a tablet in an open cockpit is that you can always hold it in such a way that it offers ideal brightness, as it is not permanently mounted on a holder. However, if that's your intention, the Lenovo is clearly the better choice. However, the Samsung is also perfectly usable.

How long does the battery last?

The next important question is how long the devices' batteries last at maximum brightness. We use them in the same way as we would probably do on board: The app is running the whole time, with tracking for the route travelled switched on, even if it is only running in the background. The device is used for a regular check of the course and map and we let it switch to sleep mode during the breaks in between so that the display goes dark. How quickly this happens, whether after a few seconds or later, can be set via the operating systems. When used in this way, both devices were still at around 50 per cent battery power after around 3.5 hours. After five to six hours, you reach the point where it is better to recharge the battery so that you will definitely still have enough power for harbour navigation.

Back in the harbour, we connect the two tablets to the 220 V chargers with the new EU USB-C standard. Unfortunately, with ten watts of power, they are very weak. A concession made by manufacturers to the price, which is unfortunately becoming increasingly common in the mid and top price range. 2.5 hours to 50 per cent and just under four hours to a full charge are not exactly fast. But the Samsung can also handle a 15-watt charger, the Lenovo even 20 watts. The faster chargers have to be purchased as an extra and cost around 13 to 25 euros, depending on the retailer. Or you can find something suitable in the general accessories trade or even in the chargers with USB-C connection that are usually lying around at home. This should result in significantly faster charging times. If you order a new charger, you should also order a protective cover for drops. Splash-proof versions are also available.

Conclusion on the tablet comparison

A few words about the other, non-boat-specific features of the devices. It is nice that both still have the classic jack connection for headphones, for which every boater probably still has headphones lying around. They are not included in the scope of delivery in this price range. If you like, you can also expand the memory using a micro SD card; both can then hold up to one terabyte. Back in the harbour, it's time for a conclusion. The bottom line is that buying a budget tablet requires a little more care from skippers than buying a high-end device. It is best to check the technical data on the manufacturer's website beforehand to make sure that a GPS chip is installed. Then you should check that at least four gigabytes of RAM are available so that all common apps run smoothly. Otherwise, the budget tablets definitely fulfil their purpose, albeit with slight compromises in terms of screen brightness and the duration of software updates. But the price of only around a quarter of a top Apple or Samsung device has to be explained somehow.

The tablets in detail

Tab M10 Plus

Photo: Andreas Fritsch

Tab M10 Plus

Manufacturer: Lenovo
Distribution: www.cyberport.de
Material: Aluminium/glass
Size: 10 inch
Operating system: Android 13
Working memory: 4 GB
Memory: 128 GB
SD slot: yes; expandable to 1 TB
Display: LCD IPS
Resolution: x
Connection: Wi-Fi/LTE
Battery: mAh/10 W
Charger: USB-C
Loading: up to 50 % - 2:24; up to 100 % - 3:36 h
Readability in sunlight: very good
Water protection class: -
Main camera: 8 MP
Selfie cam: 8 MP
Price: approx. 190 &#;
Advantages: Very affordable tab with good display, smooth-running apps

Galaxy Tab A8

Photo: Andreas Fritsch

Galaxy Tab A8

Manufacturer: Samsung
Distribution: www.cyberport.de
Material: Aluminium/glass
Size: 10 inch
Operating system: Android 13
Working memory: 3 GB/4 GB
Memory: 32 GB/64 GB
SD slot: yes; expandable to 1 TB
Display: TFT
Resolution: x
Connection: Wi-Fi/LTE
Battery: mAh/10 W/
Charger: USB-C
Loading: up to 50% - 2:35; 100% - 3:50 h
Readability in sunlight: good
Water protection class: -
Main camera: 8 MP
Selfie cam: 5 MP
Price: approx. 210 &#;
Advantage: More software updates
Disadvantage: Slightly more expensive and smaller memory

Useful accessories for a tablet

A shockproof cover is an indispensable companion for a sat nav tablet to protect it if it is dropped. Somewhat more expensive ones already have retaining tabs on the back, a stand and are splash-proof. You shouldn't expect devices in this price range to be waterproof, but even many iPads and top Samsung devices are only splashproof against fresh water. Protective covers for a budget tablet are inexpensive, often available for as little as 16 to 25 euros (plus shipping). However, they are not waterproof as the charging ports remain open. This is why most skippers charge the device from time to time at a USB socket below deck. There is a simple and practical alternative: buy a larger power bank. Models with more than 10,000 mAh fully charge the test tablets and cost no more than 20 to 40 euros. Combined with a truly waterproof foil case, charging in the open cockpit of a sports boat, for example, is also possible. Top cases of this type are offered by Aquapac, for example, from around 50 euros, depending on the shop.

Android operating system only

If you buy budget tablets, you inevitably have to accept Android as the operating system. The sat nav apps are now also available for Android from almost all providers, the only exception being Time Zero from Maxsea. Beware of Huawei devices, which are not allowed to use Android due to a US embargo and instead have a Chinese operating system. None of the common sat nav apps will work with them. A weak point of Android is that many hardware manufacturers, especially those of cheaper devices, usually only offer two to three Android version updates and then one, maximum two years of security updates. Lenovo and Redmi do not generally comment on this, Samsung promises three major updates for A-tablets, followed by around one year of security updates. The top devices from brand manufacturers have an advantage here: Apple and Samsung's S series offer a minimum of five years.

Electronic paper

Paper-like display technology

Many e-readers, devices meant to replace traditional books, utilize electronic paper for their displays in order to further resemble paper books; one such example is the Kindle series by Amazon.

Electronic paper or intelligent paper, is a display device that mimics the appearance of ordinary ink on paper.[1] Unlike conventional flat panel displays that emit light, an electronic paper display reflects ambient light, like paper. This may make them more comfortable to read, and provide a wider viewing angle than most light-emitting displays. The contrast ratio in electronic displays available as of approaches newspaper, and newly developed displays are slightly better.[2] An ideal e-paper display can be read in direct sunlight without the image appearing to fade.

Technologies include Gyricon, electrophoretics, electrowetting, interferometry, and plasmonics. Many electronic paper technologies hold static text and images indefinitely without electricity. Flexible electronic paper uses plastic substrates and plastic electronics for the display backplane. Applications of e-paper include electronic shelf labels and digital signage,[3] bus station time tables, electronic billboards,[4] smartphone displays, and e-readers able to display digital versions of books and magazines.

Technologies
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Gyricon
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Electronic paper was first developed in the s by Nick Sheridon at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center.[5] The first electronic paper, called Gyricon, consisted of polyethylene spheres between 75 and 106 micrometers across. Each sphere is a Janus particle composed of negatively charged black plastic on one side and positively charged white plastic on the other (each bead is thus a dipole).[6] The spheres are embedded in a transparent silicone sheet, with each sphere suspended in a bubble of oil so that it can rotate freely. The polarity of the voltage applied to each pair of electrodes then determines whether the white or black side is face-up, thus giving the pixel a white or black appearance.[7] At the FPD exhibition, Japanese company Soken demonstrated a wall with electronic wall-paper using this technology.[8] In , the Estonian company Visitret Displays was developing this kind of display using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as the material for the spheres, dramatically improving the video speed and decreasing the control voltage needed.[9]

Electrophoretic
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Appearance of pixels

An electrophoretic display (EPD) forms images by rearranging charged pigment particles with an applied electric field. In the simplest implementation of an EPD, titanium dioxide (titania) particles approximately one micrometer in diameter are dispersed in a hydrocarbon oil. A dark-colored dye is also added to the oil, along with surfactants and charging agents that cause the particles to take on an electric charge. This mixture is placed between two parallel, conductive plates separated by a gap of 10 to 100 micrometres. When a voltage is applied across the two plates, the particles migrate electrophoretically to the plate that bears the opposite charge from that on the particles. When the particles are located at the front (viewing) side of the display, it appears white, because the light is scattered back to the viewer by the high-index[clarification needed] titania particles. When the particles are located at the rear side of the display, it appears dark, because the light is absorbed by the colored dye. If the rear electrode is divided into a number of small picture elements (pixels), then an image can be formed by applying the appropriate voltage to each region of the display to create a pattern of reflecting and absorbing regions.

EPDs are typically addressed using MOSFET-based thin-film transistor (TFT) technology. TFTs are often used to form a high-density image in an EPD.[10] A common application for TFT-based EPDs are e-readers.[11] Electrophoretic displays are considered[by whom?] prime examples of the electronic paper category, because of their paper-like appearance and low power consumption.[citation needed] Examples of commercial electrophoretic displays include the high-resolution active matrix displays used in the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo eReader, and iRex iLiad e-readers. These displays are constructed from an electrophoretic imaging film manufactured by E Ink Corporation. A mobile that used the technology is the Motorola Fone.[12]

Electrophoretic Display technology has also been developed by SiPix and Bridgestone/Delta. SiPix is now part of E Ink Corporation. The SiPix design uses a flexible 0.15 mm Microcup architecture, instead of E Ink's 0.04 mm diameter microcapsules.[13][14] Bridgestone Corp.'s Advanced Materials Division cooperated with Delta Optoelectronics Inc. in developing Quick Response Liquid Powder Display technology.[15][16]

Electrophoretic displays can be manufactured using the Electronics on Plastic by Laser Release (EPLaR) process, developed by Philips Research, to enable existing AM-LCD manufacturing plants to create flexible plastic displays.[17]

Microencapsulated electrophoretic display
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Scheme of an electrophoretic display Scheme of an electrophoretic display using color filters Macro photograph of Kindle 3 screen; microcapsules are evident at full size.

In the s another type of electronic ink based on a microencapsulated electrophoretic display was conceived and prototyped by a team of undergraduates at MIT[18] as described in their Nature paper.[19] J.D. Albert, Barrett Comiskey, Joseph Jacobson, Jeremy Rubin and Russ Wilcox co-founded E Ink Corporation in to commercialize the technology. E Ink subsequently formed a partnership with Philips Components two years later to develop and market the technology. In , Philips sold the electronic paper business as well as its related patents to Prime View International.

"It has for many years been an ambition of researchers in display media to create a flexible low-cost system that is the electronic analog of paper. In this context, microparticle-based displays have long intrigued researchers. Switchable contrast in such displays is achieved by the electromigration of highly scattering or absorbing microparticles (in the size range 0.1&#;5 μm), quite distinct from the molecular-scale properties that govern the behavior of the more familiar liquid-crystal displays. Micro-particle-based displays possess intrinsic bistability, exhibit extremely low power d.c. field addressing and have demonstrated high contrast and reflectivity. These features, combined with a near-lambertian viewing characteristic, result in an 'ink on paper' look. But such displays have to date suffered from short lifetimes and difficulty in manufacture. Here we report the synthesis of an electrophoretic ink based on the microencapsulation of an electrophoretic dispersion. The use of a microencapsulated electrophoretic medium solves the lifetime issues and permits the fabrication of a bistable electronic display solely by means of printing. This system may satisfy the practical requirements of electronic paper."[20]

This used tiny microcapsules filled with electrically charged white particles suspended in a colored oil.[19] In early versions, the underlying circuitry controlled whether the white particles were at the top of the capsule (so it looked white to the viewer) or at the bottom of the capsule (so the viewer saw the color of the oil). This was essentially a reintroduction of the well-known electrophoretic display technology, but microcapsules meant the display could be made on flexible plastic sheets instead of glass. One early version of the electronic paper consists of a sheet of very small transparent capsules, each about 40 micrometers across. Each capsule contains an oily solution containing black dye (the electronic ink), with numerous white titanium dioxide particles suspended within. The particles are slightly negatively charged, and each one is naturally white.[7] The screen holds microcapsules in a layer of liquid polymer, sandwiched between two arrays of electrodes, the upper of which is transparent. The two arrays are aligned to divide the sheet into pixels, and each pixel corresponds to a pair of electrodes situated on either side of the sheet. The sheet is laminated with transparent plastic for protection, resulting in an overall thickness of 80 micrometers, or twice that of ordinary paper. The network of electrodes connects to display circuitry, which turns the electronic ink 'on' and 'off' at specific pixels by applying a voltage to specific electrode pairs. A negative charge to the surface electrode repels the particles to the bottom of local capsules, forcing the black dye to the surface and turning the pixel black. Reversing the voltage has the opposite effect. It forces the particles to the surface, turning the pixel white. A more recent implementation of this concept requires only one layer of electrodes beneath the microcapsules.[21][22] These are commercially referred to as Active Matrix Electrophoretic Displays (AMEPD).

Reflective LCD
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This technology is similar to common LCD while the backlight panel is substituted by a reflective surface. [23] A comparable technology is also obtainable in backlight LCDs by software or hardware deactivating the backlight control.

Electrowetting
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Electrowetting display (EWD) is based on controlling the shape of a confined water/oil interface by an applied voltage. With no voltage applied, the (colored) oil forms a flat film between the water and a hydrophobic (water-repellent) insulating coating of an electrode, resulting in a colored pixel. When a voltage is applied between the electrode and the water, the interfacial tension between the water and the coating changes. As a result, the stacked state is no longer stable, causing the water to move the oil aside. This makes a partly transparent pixel, or, if a reflective white surface is under the switchable element, a white pixel. Because of the small pixel size, the user only experiences the average reflection, which provides a high-brightness, high-contrast switchable element.

Displays based on electrowetting provide several attractive features. The switching between white and colored reflection is fast enough to display video content.[24] It is a low-power, low-voltage technology, and displays based on the effect can be made flat and thin. The reflectivity and contrast are better than or equal to other reflective display types and approach the visual qualities of paper. In addition, the technology offers a unique path toward high-brightness full-color displays, leading to displays that are four times brighter than reflective LCDs and twice as bright as other emerging technologies.[25] Instead of using red, green, and blue (RGB) filters or alternating segments of the three primary colors, which effectively result in only one-third of the display reflecting light in the desired color, electrowetting allows for a system in which one sub-pixel can switch two different colors independently.

This results in the availability of two-thirds of the display area to reflect light in any desired color. This is achieved by building up a pixel with a stack of two independently controllable colored oil films plus a color filter.

The colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow, which is a subtractive system, comparable to the principle used in inkjet printing. Compared to LCD, brightness is gained because no polarisers are required.[26]

Electrofluidic
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Electrofluidic display is a variation of an electrowetting display that place an aqueous pigment dispersion inside a tiny reservoir. The reservoir comprises less than 5-10% of the viewable pixel area and therefore the pigment is substantially hidden from view.[27] Voltage is used to electromechanically pull the pigment out of the reservoir and spread it as a film directly behind the viewing substrate. As a result, the display takes on color and brightness similar to that of conventional pigments printed on paper. When voltage is removed liquid surface tension causes the pigment dispersion to rapidly recoil into the reservoir. The technology can potentially provide greater than 85% white state reflectance for electronic paper.[28]

The core technology was invented at the Novel Devices Laboratory at the University of Cincinnati and there are working prototypes developed by collaboration with Sun Chemical, Polymer Vision and Gamma Dynamics.[29][30]

It has a wide margin in critical aspects such as brightness, color saturation and response time. Because the optically active layer can be less than 15 micrometres thick, there is strong potential for rollable displays.

Interferometric modulator (Mirasol)
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The technology used in electronic visual displays that can create various colors via interference of reflected light. The color is selected with an electrically switched light modulator comprising a microscopic cavity that is switched on and off using driver integrated circuits similar to those used to address liquid-crystal displays (LCD).

Plasmonic electronic display
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Plasmonic nanostructures with conductive polymers have also been suggested as one kind of electronic paper.[31] The material has two parts. The first part is a highly reflective metasurface made by metal-insulator-metal films tens of nanometers in thickness including nanoscale holes. The metasurfaces can reflect different colors depending on the thickness of the insulator. The standard RGB color schema can be used as pixels for full-color displays. The second part is a polymer with optical absorption controllable by an electrochemical potential. After growing the polymer on the plasmonic metasurfaces, the reflection of the metasurfaces can be modulated by the applied voltage. This technology presents broad range colors, high polarization-independent reflection (>50 %), strong contrast (>30 %), the fast response time (hundreds of ms), and long-term stability. In addition, it has ultralow power consumption (< 0.5 mW/cm2) and potential for high resolution (> dpi). Since the ultrathin metasurfaces are flexible and the polymer is soft, the whole system can be bent. Desired future improvements for this technology include bistability, cheaper materials and implementation with TFT arrays.

Other technologies
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Other research efforts into e-paper have involved using organic transistors embedded into flexible substrates,[32][33] including attempts to build them into conventional paper.[34] Simple color e-paper[35] consists of a thin colored optical filter added to the monochrome technology described above. The array of pixels is divided into triads, typically consisting of the standard cyan, magenta and yellow, in the same way as CRT monitors (although using subtractive primary colors as opposed to additive primary colors). The display is then controlled like any other electronic color display.

History
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E Ink Corporation of E Ink Holdings Inc. released the first colored E Ink displays to be used in a marketed product. The Ectaco jetBook Color was released in as the first colored electronic ink device, which used E Ink's Triton display technology.[36][37] E Ink in early also announced another color electronic ink technology called Prism.[38] This new technology is a color changing film that can be used for e-readers, but Prism is also marketed as a film that can be integrated into architectural design such as "wall, ceiling panel, or entire room instantly."[39] The disadvantage of these current color displays is that they are considerably more expensive than standard E Ink displays. The jetBook Color costs roughly nine times more than other popular e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle.[36][37] As of January , Prism had not been announced to be used in the plans for any e-reader devices.[38]

Applications
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An e-paper display on a watch refreshes to remove ghosts.

Several companies are simultaneously developing electronic paper and ink. While the technologies used by each company provide many of the same features, each has its own distinct technological advantages. All electronic paper technologies face the following general challenges:

A method for encapsulation
An ink or active material to fill the encapsulation
Electronics to activate the ink

Electronic ink can be applied to flexible or rigid materials. For flexible displays, the base requires a thin, flexible material tough enough to withstand considerable wear, such as extremely thin plastic. The method of how the inks are encapsulated and then applied to the substrate is what distinguishes each company from others. These processes are complex and are carefully guarded industry secrets. Nevertheless, making electronic paper is less complex and costly than LCDs.

There are many approaches to electronic paper, with many companies developing technology in this area. Other technologies being applied to electronic paper include modifications of liquid-crystal displays, electrochromic displays, and the electronic equivalent of an Etch A Sketch at Kyushu University. Advantages of electronic paper include low power usage (power is only drawn when the display is updated), flexibility and better readability than most displays. Electronic ink can be printed on any surface, including walls, billboards, product labels and T-shirts. The ink's flexibility would also make it possible to develop rollable displays for electronic devices.

The Motorola F3 uses an e-paper display instead of an LCD.

Wristwatches
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In December , Seiko released the first electronic ink based watch called the Spectrum SVRD001 wristwatch, which has a flexible electrophoretic display[40] and in March Seiko released a second generation of this famous electronic ink watch with an active matrix display.[41] The Pebble smart watch () uses a low-power memory LCD manufactured by Sharp for its e-paper display.[42]

In , Fossil launched a hybrid smartwatch called the Hybrid HR, integrating an always on electronic ink display with physical hands and dial to simulate the look of a traditional analog watch.[43]

E-book readers
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iLiad e-book reader equipped with an e-paper display visible in the sunlight

In , Sony released the Librié in Japan, the first e-book reader with an electronic paper E Ink display.[44] In September , Sony released the PRS-500 Sony Reader e-book reader in the USA. On October 2, , Sony announced the PRS-505, an updated version of the Reader. In November , Sony released the PRS-700BC, which incorporated a backlight and a touchscreen.

Mobile phones
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Motorola's low-cost mobile , the Motorola F3, uses an alphanumeric black-and-white electrophoretic display.

The Samsung Alias 2 mobile incorporates electronic ink from E Ink into the keypad, which allows the keypad to change character sets and orientation while in different display modes.

Smartphones
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On December 12, , Yota Devices announced the first "YotaPhone" prototype and was later released in December , a unique double-display smartphone. It has a 4.3-inch, HD LCD on the front and an electronic ink display on the back.

On May and June , Hisense released the Hisense A5c and A5 pro cc, the first color electronic ink smartphones. With a single color display, with a togglable front light running android 9 and Android 10.

Computer monitors
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Electronic paper is used on computer monitors like the 13.3 inch Dasung Paperlike 3 HD and 25.3 inch Paperlike 253.[45]

Laptop
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Some laptops like Lenovo ThinkBook Plus use e-paper as a secondary screen.[46] Other common laptops use reflective LCD panels with no backlight. Furthermore some operating systems e.g. Xubuntu, Kali Linux provide a control to dim backlight LCD brightness to 0% in internal monitors, while crystals keep working so that the display is lighted by ambient light as it was paper.

In late , Amazon began producing and marketing the Amazon Kindle, an e-book reader with an e-paper display. In February , Amazon released the Kindle 2 and in May the larger Kindle DX was announced. In July the third-generation Kindle was announced, with notable design changes.[47] The fourth generation of Kindle, called Touch, was announced in September that was the Kindle's first departure from keyboards and page turn buttons in favor of touchscreens. In September , Amazon announced the fifth generation of the Kindle called the Paperwhite, which incorporates a LED frontlight and a higher contrast display.[48]

In November , Barnes and Noble launched the Barnes & Noble Nook, running an Android operating system.[49] It differs from other e-readers in having a replaceable battery, and a separate touch-screen color LCD below the main electronic paper reading screen.

In , Sony and reMarkable offered e-books tailored for writing with a smart stylus.[50]

In , Onyx released the first frontlit 13.3 inch electronic paper Android tablet, the Boox Max Lumi. At the end of the same year, Bigme released the first 10.3 inch color electronic paper Android tablet, the Bigme B1 Pro. This was also the first large electronic paper tablet to support 4g cellular data.

Newspapers
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In February , the Flemish daily De Tijd distributed an electronic version of the paper to select subscribers in a limited marketing study, using a pre-release version of the iRex iLiad. This was the first recorded application of electronic ink to newspaper publishing.

The French daily Les Échos announced the official launch of an electronic version of the paper on a subscription basis in September . Two offers were available, combining a one-year subscription and a reading device. The offer included either a light (176g) reading device (adapted for Les Echos by Ganaxa) or the iRex iLiad. Two different processing platforms were used to deliver readable information of the daily, one based on the newly developed GPP electronic ink platform from Ganaxa, and the other one developed internally by Les Echos.

Displays embedded in smart cards
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Flexible display cards enable financial payment cardholders to generate a one-time password to reduce online banking and transaction fraud. Electronic paper offers a flat and thin alternative to existing key fob tokens for data security. The world's first ISO compliant smart card with an embedded display was developed by Innovative Card Technologies and nCryptone in . The cards were manufactured by Nagra ID.

Status displays
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USB flash drive with E Ink-implemented capacity meter of available flash memory

Some devices, like USB flash drives, have used electronic paper to display status information, such as available storage space.[51] Once the image on the electronic paper has been set, it requires no power to maintain, so the readout can be seen even when the flash drive is not plugged in.

Electronic shelf labels
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E-paper based electronic shelf labels (ESL) are used to digitally display the prices of goods at retail stores. Electronic-paper-based labels are updated via two-way infrared or radio technology and powered by a rechargeable coin cell. Some variants use ZBD (zenithal bistable display) which is more similar to LCD but does not need power to retain an image. [52]

Public transport timetables
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Tram timetables on e-paper. Prague, prototype from May .

E-paper displays at bus or trams stops can be remotely updated. Compared to LED or liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), they consume lower energy and the text or graphics stays visible during a power failure. Compared to LCDs, it easily visible under full sunshine.

Digital signage
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Because of its energy-saving properties, electronic paper has proved a technology suited to digital signage applications.

Typically, e-paper electronic tags integrate e-ink technology with wireless interfaces like NFC or UHF. They are most commonly used as employees' ID cards or as production labels to track manufacturing changes and status. E-paper tags are also increasingly being used as shipping labels, especially in the case of reusable boxes. An interesting feature provided by some e-paper Tags manufacturers is batteryless design. This means that the power needed for a display's content update is provided wirelessly and the module itself doesn't contain any battery.

Other
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Other proposed applications include clothes, digital photo frames, information boards, and keyboards. Keyboards with dynamically changeable keys are useful for less represented languages, non-standard keyboard layouts such as Dvorak, or for special non-alphabetical applications such as video editing or games. The reMarkable is a writer tablet for reading and taking notes.

Equipment: Which tablet is best for navigating? | BOOTE