E Ink has announced the next generation of its Kaleido color e-paper screen technology. The new Kaleido 4 hardware addresses several shortcomings found in the previous Kaleido 3 version by offering better contrast, faster screen refreshes, and improved color reproduction.
E Ink claims that the new display technology doubles the color gamut volume compared to its predecessor. Technical specifications for Kaleido 4 include a boost in contrast by 50 percent and an increase in white reflectance of 15 percent.
The screen is limited to producing just 4,096 colors but can achieve refresh rates of up to 18fps. Because it supports video playback, Hanvon Technology will be the first to adopt the new technology in its upcoming M10C II tablet.
The M10C II will be available only in China and features a micro-etched tempered-glass surface. Kaleido 4 utilizes a new oxide TFT backplane to power the display.
Previous Kaleido 3 displays are currently used in e-readers and tablets from brands such as Kobo, PocketBook, and Boox. Amazon's Kindle Colorsoft uses a customized version of Kaleido 3 to enhance performance, while the Remarkable Paper Pro features Gallery 3 technology which uses moving colored pigments.
Kaleido 3 refreshes much faster than the Gallery 3 technology.
