Netronix has said they plan to come up with its own color e-readers in 2023. The company however isn’t committing to any specific launch window at the moment. That again has much to do with the uncertainty surrounding E Ink Holdings’ (EIH) ability to supply color e-paper display to Netronix in requisite numbers.
Worth mentioning, Netronix had made it known back in 2020 about its plans to introduce color e-readers. It had then stated the first color e-reader to leave its production lines would be around end-2020 or early 2021. Unfortunately, that was also the time when the pandemic slowly gripped the entire world, leaving all such plans and speculations in disarray. With the pandemic finally easing and the rest of the world coming to terms with a post-covid world order, parts of China continue to reel under it and are resorting to strict lockdowns, thus hampering the assembly or production of devices or components.
As such, with the Taiwan-based Netronix pushing back its plans to launch color e-readers in 2023, what needs to be taken into account is that there still could be delays in that. Not only is the industry suffering from delay and disruptions, but demand for color e-readers has also been particularly strong. According to Omdia’s latest display long-term demand forecast tracker, demand for e-paper displays is projected to witness a year-on-year growth of 6.2 percent.
E Ink has stated it has expanded its capacity though it remains to be seen if it is going to be enough to meet the rising demand. Meanwhile, there has been a deluge of new color e-readers and e-note launches in recent times. Take for instance the likes of the Bigme Gally, Sharp 8, and Fujitsu Quaderno Gen 3 with Kaleido 3 color e-paper displays that introduce a dash of more vibrant color in the segment.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.