I adore E-Ink technology and there has never been a more exciting time to be a fan. New devices offering distinct ways to experience this paper-like technology are dropping all the time.
We've entered the era of E-Ink smartphones
Avoiding the glow of your evening scroll
Whenever I use an E-Ink device, I feel a little annoyed when I get a text and I pull out a phone whose screen feels jarring by comparison. Now there's another option—that phone could have an E-Ink screen as well.
I reviewed the Minimal Phone in 2025, and it's a great option if you can deal with a black and white screen and a sub-par camera. I've also spent time with the Bigme HiBreak Pro Color and that's a device with even fewer compromises but a far higher degree of bugs. You can even get phone-sized eReaders like the BOOX Palma 2 that, with the right app, can double as a phone.
General-purpose E-Ink tablets can function as PCs
Android tablets with a different type of screen
I spent half of the year using an E-Ink tablet as my primary computer. That was the promise of the BOOX Tab Ultra C , which was advertised as an E-Ink tablet PC (as was the similar BOOX Tab Ultra C Pro , pictured above). In practice, it's just a 10-inch Android tablet, complete with access to the Play Store. It just happens to have an e-paper display.
I love these devices. My biggest issue has been the significantly dimmer screens that come with using color E-Ink. If the contrast could be as sharp as the black and white versions, I would love these devices so much more.
Digital notepads are coming after your notebook
Notepads without the spiral and with infinite pages
From the beginning, I felt tempted to buy a reMarkable tablet like the reMarkable Paper Pro , but I did not want to buy a product that was locked into a specific company's cloud service. Now there are numerous alternatives. Supernote makes direct competitors that are built with repairability in mind.
Then there are options like the BOOX Go 10.3 (Gen 2) . BOOX sent me a sample, and I've been blown away by how far technology has come in the mere couple of years since I bought the BOOX Tab Ultra C. This model is super thin, a joy to write on, and makes for a great eReader as well.
Give E-Ink a place of prominence on your wall
Digital picture frames that don't look like digital picture frames
When I reviewed the SwitchBot AI Art Frame , I was both underwhelmed and overwhelmed. The company sent me two units because the picture quality of the smaller model was admittedly lower than that of the larger versions. I can confirm that this is true. If I had purchased the smaller model, I would be disappointed, yet I ultimately continue to use both. While neither is great for photos, they do a good job with illustrations and artwork. They've been on my wall for months, with me forgetting that these are electronic devices for almost the entirety of that time.
You can even get an E-Ink monitor
Multiple companies are competing to make an E-Ink office display
Boox
E-Ink tablets are great, but what about office work? This is the screen that many of us spend more time staring at than any other. It makes sense to want this one to be E-Ink as well.
A handful of companies now produce E-Ink displays that allow you to do hours of office work with minimal eyestrain. You even have your choice of black and white or color with the same advantages and disadvantages that this technology has on e-readers. Unfortunately, these monitors will set you back well over a grand, regardless of whether you go with Bigme , BOOX , or Dasung .
Keep an eye out for other e-paper devices
E-Ink isn't the only paper-like tech in town
I am intrigued by TCL's NXTPAPER technology . I have yet to see it for myself in person, but it promises to combine the best of e-paper screens with traditional LCD and OLED panels. You can stare at the text of an ebook for hours, yet switch to a more vivid image when you want to watch a video or view a photo, all on the same display. TCL NXTPAPER is available on phones and tablets alike.
Then there's the Pebble smartwatch, which is having a resurgence. I've pre-ordered a Pebble Round 2, and I look forward to trying out the watch. Not only is this the flagship open-source smart watch, but it has an e-paper display that doesn't light up the room when you check the time at night.
Exciting technology in nearly every form-factor
E-paper has come to laptops like the Lenovo ThinkPad Plus Gen 4 and dashboards like the TRMNL alike, but there are still many usecases left to imagine. I hope we someday see a book-style E-Ink foldable from a company like Samsung .
