Back at CES 2020 HiSense presented an unusual device-- the A5, a smartphone featuring a colour ePaper display, the result of recent development by E Ink. Now the company announces the device is set to hit the market soon in April 2020.
While most smartphones tout high refresh rates and fast chipsets, the A5 is a far more modest device. After all, while the front-lit 5.8-inch 1440 x 720 resolution display does indeed handle colour, it can only display 4096, a far cry from the millions LCD and OLED are capable of. Meanwhile the refresh rate is only impressive in comparison to other ePaper displays, and cannot handle video. However it does make for a great eReader, be it for text or comics.
Inside the A5 are fairly modest specs, with a Snapdragon 439 processor, 4GB RAM and 32GB storage (expandable via SD card). A 4000mAH battery provides power, and charging comes through Micro USB port. Both 13MP rear- and 4MP front-facing cameras are included, with the front-facing shooter allowing one to make video calls and even unlock the device. The OS of choice is Android and the A5 can most apps available on the Play Store, so long users keep the display refresh rate in mind.
The A5 ships from 23 April.
