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This trend of phone shaped e-readers is just so redundant. Phones already have amazing screens that are perfect for reading despite not being e-ink. The only a

This trend of phone shaped e-readers is just so redundant. Phones already have amazing screens that are perfect for reading despite not being e-ink. The only argument people make is that you separate your reading from your phoning and it's a weak take that feels like a capitalistic trend to just justify buying more gadgets.

infotainment 2y ago
I agree with you that phone shaped eReaders (like this or the Palma) make no sense, but for a different reason: I think eInk screens are vastly superior to LCD and want my phone to have one. Not putting a cellular radio on a phone shaped eReader completely defeats the purpose IMO.
- wraptile 2y ago
  Most people have led screens tho and e-ink superiority over high res led is arguable at best.
  - WolfeReader 2y ago
    https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230313005152/en/Harvard-Study-Shows-E-Ink%E2%80%99s-ePaper-Is-Up-to-Three-Times-Healthier-for-Your-Eyes-Than-LCD-Screens https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230313005152/en/Har...
    - wraptile 2y ago
      So they found that it's slightly better than simply limiting blue light which every phone already has an option for.
sleepycatgirl 2y ago
Nah, phones don't have that good of screens for reading. They are decent, yes, but not great. That's why I went with phone with e-ink screens, works wonders.
WolfeReader 2y ago
Phones - at least the mainstream smartphones - are shining light directly at you every time you look at them. It's harder on your eyes and harder on your phone's battery. These are not what you want for a good reading experience. Not to mention that you get to see and hear notifications - even the "silent" ones - while you're reading. E-readers can go weeks between charges, are easier on your eyes, and - when you're using them instead of your phone - actually help your phone's battery last longer too. And unless your phone is a "phablet" or a Galaxy Z Fold, that "amazing" screen is probably quite smaller than most e-readers. Which isn't a problem for people with good vision, but for those who need larger fonts to read comfortably, screen size can be a major factor.
- hollerith 2y ago
  >Phones - at least the mainstream smartphones - are shining light directly at you every time you look at them. There is light coming directly from the book into your eyes when you read a paper book, too. Since human vision is complicated and I'm not an expert on all the complications, I'm not going to say there are no visual advantages to an e-ink display, but "in a smartphone, the light shines directly at you" is emphatically not a satisfactory technical explanation of why an e-ink display is easier on your eyes. Also I own an early model of the Kindle Paperwhite, which of course has an e-ink display, and I don't notice any visual advantages. Also: my Paperwhite's backlight cannot be turned off while the user is using it to read, and it has a "diffuser" to spread the light evenly around the screen just like a backlit LCD display does. I.e., it is shining light directly in my eyes whenever I am using it using exactly the same components that a smartphone with an LCD display does, namely LED lights positioned at the edges of a diffuser. Is the product described by the OP actually different in this regard? I'm not sure, but the OP does discuss the product's backlight. Sorry if this comment sounds a little angry, but this non-explanatory explanation you've made and that I've quoted has been repeated many times over the years on this site.
  - WolfeReader 2y ago
    For sure, it's definitely not a technical explanation. Here's the technical explanation you want: https://sid.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsid.1191 https://sid.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsid.1191

infotainment 2y ago

I agree with you that phone shaped eReaders (like this or the Palma) make no sense, but for a different reason: I think eInk screens are vastly superior to LCD and want my phone to have one. Not putting a cellular radio on a phone shaped eReader completely defeats the purpose IMO.

wraptile 2y ago
Most people have led screens tho and e-ink superiority over high res led is arguable at best.
- WolfeReader 2y ago
  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230313005152/en/Harvard-Study-Shows-E-Ink%E2%80%99s-ePaper-Is-Up-to-Three-Times-Healthier-for-Your-Eyes-Than-LCD-Screens https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230313005152/en/Har...
  - wraptile 2y ago
    So they found that it's slightly better than simply limiting blue light which every phone already has an option for.

sleepycatgirl 2y ago

Nah, phones don't have that good of screens for reading. They are decent, yes, but not great. That's why I went with phone with e-ink screens, works wonders.

WolfeReader 2y ago

Phones - at least the mainstream smartphones - are shining light directly at you every time you look at them. It's harder on your eyes and harder on your phone's battery. These are not what you want for a good reading experience. Not to mention that you get to see and hear notifications - even the "silent" ones - while you're reading. E-readers can go weeks between charges, are easier on your eyes, and - when you're using them instead of your phone - actually help your phone's battery last longer too. And unless your phone is a "phablet" or a Galaxy Z Fold, that "amazing" screen is probably quite smaller than most e-readers. Which isn't a problem for people with good vision, but for those who need larger fonts to read comfortably, screen size can be a major factor.

hollerith 2y ago
>Phones - at least the mainstream smartphones - are shining light directly at you every time you look at them. There is light coming directly from the book into your eyes when you read a paper book, too. Since human vision is complicated and I'm not an expert on all the complications, I'm not going to say there are no visual advantages to an e-ink display, but "in a smartphone, the light shines directly at you" is emphatically not a satisfactory technical explanation of why an e-ink display is easier on your eyes. Also I own an early model of the Kindle Paperwhite, which of course has an e-ink display, and I don't notice any visual advantages. Also: my Paperwhite's backlight cannot be turned off while the user is using it to read, and it has a "diffuser" to spread the light evenly around the screen just like a backlit LCD display does. I.e., it is shining light directly in my eyes whenever I am using it using exactly the same components that a smartphone with an LCD display does, namely LED lights positioned at the edges of a diffuser. Is the product described by the OP actually different in this regard? I'm not sure, but the OP does discuss the product's backlight. Sorry if this comment sounds a little angry, but this non-explanatory explanation you've made and that I've quoted has been repeated many times over the years on this site.
- WolfeReader 2y ago
  For sure, it's definitely not a technical explanation. Here's the technical explanation you want: https://sid.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsid.1191 https://sid.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsid.1191