Good e-Reader has learned that the 11th Generation Kindle Paperwhite 5 and the Paperwhite Signature edition are not using E INK Carta HD displays, as many media outlets have reported. Instead, Amazon is employing the latest E INK Carta 1200. This new e-paper panel is why the company in their marketing material has declared that page turn speed has been increased by over 20%, but there are other features, that they have not mentioned.
E INK Carta 1200 is primarily used in e-readers that have electronic paper displays. This technology is only in a handful of products right now, such as the new Kobo Libra 2 and Kobo Sage. The technology provides 20% faster response time and enables smoother handwriting and animations. It also support for E INK Regal technology for image updates. Regal virtually eliminates the need for a full refresh, giving the viewer smoother viewing transitions.
1200 modules consist of a TFT (thin film transistor), Ink layer and Protective Sheet. One of the benefits is that the touchscreen is incorporated into the module stack. It provides two-point multitouch and users can tap, gesture and utilize finger swipes on the Kindle. This tech is placed on top of the display module. E INK has developed new tech called on-cell touch module, where the capacitive layer is actually built into the e-paper, but so far, no company has done anything with it yet.
E INK Carta 1200 and Regal support is why the new Kindle Paperwhite 2021 editions are so fast and responsive compared to the 2018 Paperwhite, Kinde Voyage and even the Oasis. This is also how Amazon was able to develop their new page turn animation system that debuted with the latest firmware update, that came out yesterday and why it seems to fluid and robust. What is interesting about the new firmware, is that it actually changes the entire UI and menu navigation system, but when the Paperwhite came out, it actually shipped with firmware that was more than a month old and did not have any of the new features.
At least, it is now 100% confirmed by Amazon themselves, in an email to Good e-Reader that the 11th Generation Kindle Paperwhite and the Paperwhite Signature Edition are both employing E INK Carta 1200 EPD panels.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
