eInk Vizplex is the screen found on most dedicated digital reading devices, including the best ones like the Kindle, Nook, and Sony Readers. Whether you’re holding a Kindle or a Hanlin, you are enjoying the benefits of the same screen technology.
The maker of Vizplex is eInk, a Massachusetts-based company. In July this year, the company rolled out its second generation screen display. Called Pearl, the new screen display builds on Vizplex’s design, improving and expanding its capability and bringing its performance to an even greater level. The screen was first utilized by Amazon’s Kindle DX and received great reviews.
eInk Pearl vs eInk Vizplex: The Pearl’s Two Main Areas of Improvement
1. Contrast
The eInk Vizplex has a contrast ratio of 6:1, while the Pearl has a contrast ratio of 10:1 – that’s 50% improvement according to eInk. If that doesn’t sound like much, put the Kindle 3 side by side with the Kindle 2, and you’ll see the dramatic improvement. The Kindle 3 has much clearer screen, the texts are blacker that they seem to “pop out” of the whiter background. The sharper rendering of text and images make the Pearl more readable in the outdoors. One customer who has already received his Kindle 3 (the second device to use the new eInk Pearl screen) said he was also able to read on the device even while wearing sunglasses. eInk compares the contrast ratio of the original eInk display to that of newspapers; the Pearl’s, to that of a high quality paperback book.
2. Power efficiency
The eInk Vizplex’s power thriftiness is remarkable, but the Pearl’s power efficiency is even more so. eInk does not indicate in percentage how much the improvement in power savings is, only that it is now “lowest power display in the market today for eReaders”. If you are looking for some point of comparison, perhaps the difference in the power efficiency of the Kindle 2 and the Kindle 3 can provide a clue. The Kindle 2 offers 2 weeks of battery life on a single charge, while the Kindle 3 can provide up to a month of reading.
eInk Pearl vs eInk Vizplex: Features the eInk Pearl Carries Over
The eInk Pearl Imaging Film is a definite improvement over the Vizplex, but they still share a lot of similarities in common.
1. Black and white: The new screen technology still doesn’t support color.
2. Grayscale level: The Pearl still offers 16 shades of gray.
3. 180 degree viewing angle: The Pearl can still be viewed from nearly all sides.
4. White state reflectivity: Offering 40% white state reflectivity, eInk calls it “the industry’s best white state”.
eInk Pearl vs eInk Vizplex: The Coming of the Next Generation of eReaders
The Kindle DX 2 offers 40% better contrast than the Kindle DX 1, and the Kindle 3 offers 50% better contrast than the Kindle 2. Because of the new levels of performance and readability that the eInk Pearl offers, it won’t be surprising if other eReaders follow in the footsteps of the Kindle DX and Kindle 3. They’ll utilize the new eInk Pearl instead of sticking of the Vizplex – unless they’re content to play second fiddle to the latest Kindles.
In this video you can see the differences between eInk Vizplex on the Kindle 2 and eInk Pearl on the Kindle 3:
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