Qualcomm has come out strong with the new e-paper technology in their Mirasol Ereader.
The display offers color, video capability and, best of all, a battery life of up to 3 full weeks, which monochrome ereaders should already be accustomed to. With a 5.7-inch (1024 x 768) display, the Mirasol ereader uses front-light LED technology that both makes ereader useable in darkness, and at the same time makes it easier to use in direct sunlight. It is far superior to backlit devices when reading at the beach, for example. The refresh rate is another improvement in this model, and shouldn’t leave anyone frustrated.
Kyobo is Korea’s largest bookseller, and started the Mirasol-based Kyobo ereaders off at around $300 retail.
The Kyobo eReader delivers three weeks of battery life by assuming use of 30 min of use each day, WiFi Off, standby power the rest of the time. In addition, 25% front light brightness is used.
This doesn’t mean that the screen is darker at all. The new display technology works by reflecting ambient light, and in darker environments uses an integrated reading light. By taking advantage of existing light, and supplementing as necessary, the battery demands for light are greatly reduced.
Mirasol is hitting the Korean and Chinese markets first, but it shouldn’t be too long before we see these products Stateside.