while YotaPhone offers a second screen suitable for contents like ebook, maps and more, you don’t need to resign yourself to a device which you probably can’t get outside of Russia and Europe if you wished for such functionality; all you need is the OAXIS InkCase Lite or the InkCase. developed by Singapore-based tech company OAXIS, the InkCase offers you a second display in the form of an e-ink display and was first introduced six months ago at the Computex 2013. that was the InkCase adapted for iPhone 5/5s and GALAXY Note 2, but at this year’s Mobile World Congress, OAXIS will be showcasing the InkCase Lite, a case, i mean a second display (also in e-ink item, btw), adapted to all makes and models of handset.
honestly, we don’t quite know how the magic is going to happen as details are pretty scant for now. according to the creator, the InkCase Lite can be installed at the back of any phone and uses Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone. since it “fits any phone”, the InkCase Lite will still be compatible with any new smartphone you may have switched to. a dedicated app allows you to transfer your ebooks to the InkCase Lite, allowing you read your favorite books without the strain which LED display might have caused on your eyes and hopefully, conserves your main device’s battery as e-ink uses significantly lesser power. much like what YotaPhone has touted, the InkCase Lite also lets you display photo, notifications and more, though those can only be realized through the use of their respective dedicated apps.
the whole idea is that the InkCase can display virtually anything you desire; all it lacks now is exploration. speaking of which, interested developers can take advantage of the SDK offered by OAXIS to harness the benefit of this second e-ink display, but just how many developers are willing to take a dip into it remains to be seen. no word when or how much the new InkCase Lite will cost, but as a gauge, the existing InkCase for iPhone 5/5s and GALAXY Note 2 retails for $149, which is not cheap as far as a case is concerned, but should be reasonable if you think of it as your smartphone companion eReader.
