A few friends once mentioned, as they were preparing to drop $600 for a new smartphone, that they were excited at the prospect of using it to read books. Little did they know that most smartphones’ batteries don’t quite hold up to extended use of that sort and gave up on their efforts relatively quickly. Well, these people might want to take a look at the InkCase Plus. It’s a dedicated, modular e-Ink display that nestles into a specially made case. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and is able to go up to 19 hours without needing a charge. This means that you can read a book with no trouble, as well as use it for a variety of other things, like displaying a shopping list, notifications, boarding passes, etc. The device only uses power when it changes what’s on display, which allows it to literally sip on its battery for days at a time. Only turn on your phone’s giant, battery-devouring screen when you really need it.
Sure, it’ll add some bulk to your phone, although not that much: it weighs 45g and is only 5mm thick. The best part is that you can get in on the action for as little as a $79 pledge at the moment. It’s for the Galaxy S5 at the moment, though the company says that if there’s enough interest they can make cases for other devices.
[ Project Page ] VIA [ Engadget ]
