After announcing the Galaxy Z TriFold’s price and release date for the U.S. market on Tuesday, Samsung on Wednesday unveiled a different gadget with a unique display. The 13-inch Samsung Color E-Paper features the world’s first display housing made in part with a bio-resin crafted from phytoplankton. Samsung said in a press release that the material innovation is an alternative to traditional plastics derived from petroleum. Phytoplankton refers to microalgae that live in water, but Samsung’s announcement doesn’t explain how the phytoplankton is turned into a bio-resin material, or how it’s mixed with plastic.
The Color E-Paper’s display housing isn’t made entirely of bio-resin. Only 10% of the material used for the housing comes from phytoplankton, with about 45% made from recycled plastic. Comparatively, Amazon used 58% recycled plastic by late 2024 to manufacture its products, including Kindle models. Separately, Apple made the iPhone XS’s cover glass frame with 32% bio-based plastic in 2018, without detailing the provenance of the “bio” part. Samsung has also implemented other eco-friendly measures for the Color E-Paper.
The gadget ships in a box made entirely from paper. More importantly, the display is very efficient. According to Samsung, static content uses zero watts of power. Content refresh will require energy, but the Korean company claims the device uses significantly less power than other digital signage products. However, Kindle fans looking for alternatives won’t be able to purchase Samsung’s new device. The 13-inch Color E-Paper caters to businesses that might need signage alternatives to printed paper, like restaurants that want to display digital menus with minimal costs.
Will Samsung make e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle?
In addition to detailing the environmental advantages of the 13-inch Color E-Paper display, like the novel bio-resin material, Samsung also mentioned some of its main specs. The gadget features a “paper-thin” screen with 1,600 x 1,200 resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio. The tablet-like display is about the same size as an A4 sheet of paper, with Samsung saying it’s designed for smaller surfaces that require signage, including tables, doors, and counters. The device weighs 0.9 kg (about two pounds) and has a 17.9 mm profile. It also features a built-in battery that can be recharged via USB-C, which means the gadget can be used without wires.
The color display experience may sound appealing to users who are already familiar with color e-readers and e-paper displays. Samsung says the gadget features an advanced color imaging algorithm that “enhances color accuracy and readability to deliver a paper-like look and feel.” However, the gadget can’t be used as a personal e-reader, as it doesn’t feature a traditional operating system that would allow the user to run apps. Instead, the 13-inch Color E-Paper can be controlled via an Android or iPhone device, or remotely when the content displayed on the screen needs to be updated.
There’s nothing in Samsung’s announcement to suggest the company will use similar innovations for any new devices targeting general consumers, whether it’s this particular 13-inch e-paper screen technology or the display housing made with algae-based bio-resin. Amazon does sell a large e-reader with a color display, the 11-inch Kindle Scribe Colorsoft that retails for $629.99. Last month, TCL unveiled the 11.5-inch NXTPAPER Pure e-ink device, priced at $529 on Kickstarter.
