Long a staple technology for e-book readers, e-paper is finally starting to expand its reach, finding its way into tablets, watches, and even cars, with the recent CES collaboration between E Ink and BMW. But CES also saw the unveiling of an even stranger e-paper-based device: a wearable called the Sol Reader, which is an e-reader you can wear on your face.
Although some technical limitations prevent e-paper from being used as a universal replacement for LCD and OLED displays — you definitely don’t want an E Ink TV hanging in your family room — its technical advantages, including low power consumption and a reflective screen that’s more -easy on the eyes, making it perfect for everything from e-readers to e-notes. Where we didn’t expect e-paper to appear, even the new color varieties, was a pair of glasses.
Until now, the glasses form factor has mostly been reserved for virtual reality, augmented reality, or wearables that combine the two, using two screens to immerse viewers in 3D worlds or experiences. There’s no doubt that wearables are the future of the devices we still carry in our pockets, but the Sol Reader isn’t looking to replace smartphones. Instead, it’s aimed at e-readers.
Details about the device are scarce on its official website, but Brad Lynch of YouTube channel SadlyItsBradley was able to get some hands-on time with a Sol Reader prototype at CES last week and shared his impressions in a video. Weighing less than 100 grams, the glasses look and feel like a lightweight pair of VR goggles (you can’t see the world around you while wearing them), but instead feature a pair of electronic paper screens behind a set of pancake lenses.
Sol Reader does not provide users with 3D interactive virtual worlds, but instead allows them to read. You’ll see what looks like a page from a book floating in a dark void in front of you or above you when you use the glasses while lying down, which is obviously the ideal use case since the Sol Reader doesn’t have a head strap. Page-turning is done via a wireless hand-held remote, while battery life is promised to be close to 30 hours thanks to the use of e-paper displays.
Lynch gives a quick look at the screens inside the device in the video, which unfortunately look disappointingly low-res, but points out that the team behind it has spoken to E Ink about providing a higher-resolution solution. This will be critical, as the Sol Reader is expected to sell for a hefty $US350 ($486) sometime this year. If the reading experience doesn’t come close to what the Kindle provides, it’s hard to imagine anyone spending that much money on the wearable when the Meta Quest 2 is only $50 ($69) more and there are plenty of ebook reading apps available for him.
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