Stefan Mileschin

LG has announced that it has begun mass production of the world's first commercial flexible, plastic e-ink display.

Currently the Kindle and Nook have prone-to-cracking glass-laminate e-ink displays. The new plastic display has a resolution of 1024×768 and is six inches across.

The advantage is that it is half the weight (14g) and 30 per cent thinner than a glass e-ink panel. This means that e-book readers need to be thick and heavy to protect the glass display.

LG claims that its display is a lot more rugged and survived repeated 1.5-meter drop tests and break/scratch tests with a small hammer. The screen is flexible up to 40 degrees from the mid point.

The press release indicates that LG is using a conventional TFT process.

Because the displays are thinner and more power efficient, they will also be cheaper. Plastic e-ink displays make it possible to create an e-book reader that's the size, shape, and flexibility of a book or newspaper.

Because e-ink is easier to read than a tablet screen, they could become the de facto reading standard.

According to LG, the first plastic display-toting e-readers are expected to emerge in Europe at the beginning of next month.

http://news.techeye.net/hardware/lg-...-e-ink-display