Delta Electronics To Release Color eReader

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Delta Electronics, out of Taiwan, is preparing a 13-inch eReader that not only has a color electronic paper screen, but a touchscreen at that. Instead of going with E Ink, the popular American electronic paper company, they’re buying their color screens from Bridgestone, the Japanese company better known for their automotive tires.

Obviously, the color device will stand out vs. the other competitors in the eReader space. The big players, Sony (and their Reader), Amazon (and the Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (and the Nook) all use monochrome E Ink displays. The deputy head of Sony’s eReader division said a few days ago that the quality of current electronic paper color displays is too low for them to add it to products.

The Delta eReader will also be considerably bigger than the competition at 13-inches, with the entry-level Kindle having a 6-inch screen. Tire company Bridgestone has been working on their color electronic paper displays for sometime. They first publicly showed it off last year.The 13-inch screen is the same as the standard A4 paper format, and Bridgestone hopes it will be used for office documents.

Don’t expect Delta to sell these things in stores to you. The Taiwanese company is an OEM manufacturer, and they’re currently seeking a partner to order and market this 13-inch eReader has their own. Delta told Computerworld magazine that if they couldn’t find a partner, they would sell the devices on their own in Taiwan. They’ve approached content owners about a deal in the Taiwanese market. Computerworld saw the color electronic paper touchscreen being used and reported it as working well and being very speedy.

Delta can begin manufacturing these eReaders in Q2 of this year. No word on pricing yet, or if they’ll be picked up by a partner for sale in the US or Europe.