The older I get the more I fall in love with E-ink displays. Not only because I love reading and having my library on the go, but because I am trying to take care of my eyes the best that I can while my vision is still in good shape. Realizing that most of my days are going from screen to screen at all different levels of brightness can’t be great for the eyes.
This is why over the last several months I’ve been talking about e-readers and phones and tablets that feature an E-ink display or feature. Our recent feature of the upcoming TCL NxtPaper line is one such example of my dive into this space.
That is why something like the Bigme Hibreak Pro is an intriguing device that looks to blur the line between e-readers and smartphones, offering a unique combination of features tailored for those who prioritize reading, want smartphone-like functionality, and love their eyes.
Phone Features:
6.13-inch E Ink Display: The black-and-white E Ink screen is ideal for reading, providing a paper-like experience that’s easy on the eyes, even in bright sunlight. This makes it a strong contender for avid readers who want a portable device.
MediaTek Dimensity 1080 Processor: With a 2.6GHz processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, the Hibreak Pro is significantly more powerful than most E-Ink devices. This should result in smoother performance, especially when running Android apps or multitasking.
Android 14: While it may not have the latest OS updates, Android 14 ensures access to a wide range of apps via the Google Play Store, expanding its functionality beyond just reading.
Price: At $439, it’s more expensive than basic e-readers like the Kindle but cheaper than high-end smartphones. Its value lies in its niche appeal as a powerful, connected e-reader.
The Bigme Hibreak Pro really looks to be one of those in-between devices. It’s not a traditional e-reader because of its smaller size even with its 300ppi resolution screen making text look nice and crisp. It’s also not really a smartphone as one would expect because the technology is limiting giving users 21fps. This is enough for reading content and most basic Android apps, but it also means gaming on this is a non-starter, let alone watching YouTube or content from other streaming video platforms.
But this device will soon have some stiff competition with TCL brining their own E-ink/color combo phone to the US market soon. The TCL 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G isn’t a true E-ink display from our hands-on from CES the new line of phones and tablets are pretty darn close. The magic is that they allow you to instantly switch between the two display modes. This means you can get the E-ink feel and eye comfort while still switching to color to play games and watch video content. It’s also a budget phone that looks to launch stateside at under $200.
Only time will tell if the Bigme Hibreak Pro will make a splash in the market but it’s great to see more choices in the smartphone space. The company also has a number of other models featuring E-ink displays, even one that manages to use color. You can check out their line of device here: https://shorturl.at/qpJe5
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