Color E Ink tablets use a special type of electronic ink, taking the technology to a new level. These devices retain key advantages such as eye comfort and reduced power consumption. However, they have gained a new feature: color display.
A color E Ink display has become more suitable for textbooks, graphic design projects, comics, and advertising materials. Manufacturers are also improving screen refresh rates and color saturation. As a result, these devices are no longer e-readers but rather more versatile devices.
What Is a Color E Ink Display
E-Ink color technology is a display technology that combines standard black-and-white microcapsules with filters to add red, green, and blue. Consequently, the reader can now see images where only text and other graphic elements were previously visible.
Kaleido 3 has a color filter located above the black-and-white film. Compared to Kaleido Plus, the device has improved saturation by 30%.
Gallery 3 does not have a filter but uses a four-pigment combination system, which results in bright and rich tones.
A typical DPI is often around 150-300 dots per inch. However, black-and-white devices have more dots.
E-book readers with color E Ink have energy-saving features: energy consumption is significantly lower when the image is not changing. Various studies report energy savings of up to 70-80%. Here is also a valuable material you may like – The Battle of the Screens: E Ink vs LCD vs OLED.
How Do Color E Ink Screens Compare to Monochrome
After learning how color E Ink works, you can consider other important aspects. For your convenience, we’ve created a comparison chart that provides a comparative analysis. A valuable data is also here – Boox Colour Screens vs Black and White Screens.
Aspect | Benefits of Color E Ink display | Benefits of monochrome E Ink |
Functionality | Diagrams, illustrations, textbooks, highlights comics, and notes—all look better with color. | Focus on text: contrast, sharpness, fewer visual artifacts, precise lines. |
Contrast and clarity of text | There is slightly lower contrast because of the color filter/pigment system. Text may appear less “black.”There is less blurring and fewer artifacts. | There is perfect contrast, especially when reading long texts or novels. There is less blurring and fewer artifacts. |
Battery and its durability | More components, pigments, or filters may slightly increase energy consumption. In static mode, it is still moderate. | They ask for minimal power requirements, especially in idle mode. Vibrant black-and-white pages can last longer. |
Application | Textbooks, visually rich notes, comics/manga, plans. | Novels, texts, or news—any files that require reading without visual distractions |
What Are the Benefits of Color E Ink
The most apparent advantage of an e-book reader with color E Ink is the ability to view images, charts, and other elements. They are colorful and vibrant and can even improve your reading experience. Now you can enjoy the process more and see the illustrations. Let’s look at the advantages of these devices for different tasks.
For Education
Color gadgets can be helpful in the learning process for the following:
- Reading textbooks. Here, diagrams become more memorable and informative.
- Studying lab reports. Such documents may contain graphs, maps, and other colored elements that are easier to study and analyze on a color device.
A study at Harvard Medical School showed that color E Ink displays significantly reduce stress on retinal cells compared to LCDs.
For Creative Work
With such gadgets, you can make color sketches, apply shades to notes, or create creative masterpieces.
You’ll definitely need a device with a wide selection of colors. Reflective display technology can be a distinct advantage.
For Business and Signage
There are two prime examples where this is essential:
- Retail shelf labels with brand colors. They look stylish and are highly legible.
- Office dashboards that remain visible in sunlight are a cool and effective device. Your office will look like a modern, tech-savvy company.
There are other 10 Reasons Why E Ink Tablets Are the Future of Reading. Simply get creative and start using them.
What Are the Limitations of Color E Ink
Let’s look at some crucial points to know. You can call them disadvantages or other features:
- Refresh rate. Remember, color mode will work more slowly.
- Color saturation. This can vary by brand and even model. For example, Kaleido and Gallery colors are softer and less vibrant than OLED.
- Price. Features cost more, and the same goes for color. Color E Ink devices are often 20-40% more expensive.
- Software and ecosystem. Not every app supports color for notes and annotations, and text is still often black and white.
Also, ghosting can occur. This is a problem where a previous image overlaps. And one more thing, read this article with valuable data to know all about screens – Frontlight vs Backlight: What’s the Difference?
Which Devices Already Use Color E Ink
Several manufacturers currently use E-Ink color technology. Below, we present the most successful examples.
Onyx Boox Tab X C
Discover the Boox Tab X C and find that it is an amazing product. This device has a substantial 13.3″ screen. It’s best suited for work documents and planning.
Users appreciate the color screen’s capabilities for viewing visual content, drawings, diagrams, and presentations.
Onyx Boox Note Air 4C
Introducing the Boox Note Air 4C in Canada we need to mention that it is a medium-sized device. It is versatile, suitable for reading, taking notes, and supports Android apps. It uses Kaleido 3 technology. It’s ideal for those who value a balance between color and text readability.
Other Options
Let’s introduce a couple more best E Ink Tablets in 2025. Bigme is a brand that offers tablets with color E Ink support. There’s also the PocketBook InkPad Color. It will be appreciated by users who enjoy reading materials with color illustrations.
Will Color E Ink Become Mainstream
Here is some exciting news: EInkTab is Growing and Expanding. Cost, ecosystem support, and performance often influence purchase or popularity:
- Cost. Scaling the Kaleido 3 and Gallery 3 in production should positively impact price reduction.
- Performance. Even today, there are options on the market where black-and-white content refreshes in ~350 ms, and color mode in ~500 ms. It is a positive factor in favor of purchasing color devices.
- Ecosystem support. Android devices can adapt faster. It applies to notes, PDFs, drawings, and other tasks. As the number of applications adapted for color and layering grows, demand for a Color E Ink tablet will also increase.
Summerizing: By 2026-2027, color alternatives and their sales could reach 30-40%.
Conclusion
An e-book reader with Color E Ink expands the product’s capabilities and adds versatility. Although it has not yet completely replaced LCD and OLED, trends and expert observations suggest a positive outlook.
In the near future, spare parts may become cheaper, and the price of the device may decrease. Quality will improve, and demand for the devices will increase. The Best E Ink Tablets Beyond Mere Ereaders may surprise you in the next few years.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I watch a video on the Color E Ink?
Probably not. Current devices are still too slow to play video smoothly. - Does Color E Ink drain more battery?
Yes, a little more compared to monochrome. However, in static mode, there’s no noticeable change. - Can I use stylus layers in color?
Yes, you can use a stylus, although not all apps support accurate color reproduction. - Is Color E Ink suitable for comics and manga?
Yes, it’s an excellent option for reading comics.
