Dual-screen phone with e-ink? bigme's hibreak dual teases a bold shift
Imagine a phone that’s gentle on your eyes, perfect for long reading sessions, yet still capable of streaming videos and playing games. Bigme, a relatively unknown Chinese company, is betting that’s a desire worth exploring with the HiBreak Dual, a device that’s generating buzz for its unusual combination of LCD and color E-Ink displays.
A return to the dual-screen concept, with a colorful twist
The idea of a dual-screen phone isn't entirely new. Remember the YotaPhone from 2013? It attempted a similar concept, but with limited success. Hisense also dabbled in the space with monochrome E-Ink displays. The HiBreak Dual, however, distinguishes itself with its color E-Ink panel—likely leveraging E-Ink’s Kaleido 3 Technology. This allows for a far more versatile experience than previous attempts, potentially handling comics, magazine layouts, and even color-coded notifications with reasonable clarity.
The device’s premise is straightforward: a standard LCD screen for everyday smartphone tasks—videos, social media, gaming—and a flip-over E-Ink display optimized for reading, notifications, and reduced eye strain. E-Ink Technology, familiar to Kindle users, offers remarkable battery efficiency and a paper-like visual experience that OLED and LCD screens simply can't match, especially during extended use.
Bigme's track record: a cause for caution
Before you rush to clear space on your desk, there are significant caveats. Bigme hasn’t released concrete specifications, pricing, or a firm release date. The company’s current approach—essentially crowdsourcing guesses about the device’s internals—doesn’t inspire immense confidence. But more crucially, Bigme’s previous hardware, while impressive in its E-Ink implementation, has been consistently plagued by clunky and unreliable software. This is a critical area that will ultimately determine the HiBreak Dual’s viability.
Furthermore, Bigme’s products rarely venture beyond the Chinese market. Even their recently launched HiBreak Plus, a color E-Ink phone, is priced at $249 and ships directly from China, with limited global support. Getting your hands on the HiBreak Dual outside of Asia appears to be a long shot.
A concept worthy of a larger player
The HiBreak Dual represents a compelling response to a growing problem: smartphone addiction. We've seen desperate measures—flip phones, dedicated e-readers—as people seek to break free from the constant allure of bright, attention-grabbing screens. A dual-screen phone that seamlessly integrates reading into the smartphone experience could be a genuine solution.
The question isn’t whether the idea is good, but whether Bigme is the right company to execute it. A player like Samsung, Google, or Xiaomi, with their established software ecosystems and global reach, could truly elevate this concept and deliver a product that resonates with a broader audience. Until then, the HiBreak Dual remains a fascinating experiment—one I’ll be watching closely, but with a healthy dose of skepticism.