Hisense A2: Dual-Screen Phone With AMOLED And E-Ink Displays

[Megalith]

This is not the first device to do this, but an e-ink display seems like a pretty smart way to conserve battery life when you realize it is suitable for a lot of content you would normally be perusing on your mobile.

The TENAA filing describes the phone as a handset with a 5.5 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel AMOLED display on one side and a 5.2 inch, 960 x 540 pixel E Ink screen on the other. Advantages of the E Ink screen include sunlight visibility, low power consumption, and the ability to display a static image without using any power — so you can load up a shopping list, directions, boarding pass, or other notes and it’ll stay on the screen indefinitely even if your battery dies. You could also use that screen to read eBooks or other documents. The phone’s other features include a 1.4 GHz octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a microSD card reader, a 3,000 mAh battery, a 16MP rear camera, a 5MP front camera, and Android 6.0 software.

 

[Burticus]

Hmm. Would be kind of hard to put a case on that phone if it has displays on both sides. And without a case, any phone's days are numbered.

 

[Spidey329]

Hmm. Would be kind of hard to put a case on that phone if it has displays on both sides. And without a case, any phone's days are numbered.

Don't really need a case along the back, so it'd just be a case that goes along the edges, that'll provide front, back, and side protection.

 

[Burticus]

Don't really need a case along the back, so it'd just be a case that goes along the edges, that'll provide front, back, and side protection.

My friend had one of those style of cases on her iphone (I call it a "bumper" case, it's just around the edges and corners) and her phone was all jacked up. Better than nothing, but not great. Now if they could make a transparent back so you could still see the e-ink side, that would work.

My wife has an otterbox on her Galaxy S4 and I noticed the other day her screen was cracked in half. She has no idea how or when it happened. Really? I've seen her drop her phone 4 times a day. Guess she'll be getting a new phone now...

 

[M76]

Hmm. Would be kind of hard to put a case on that phone if it has displays on both sides. And without a case, any phone's days are numbered.

Why is that? My phone has never seen a case in it's life, I have had it for almost two years. So yes it's days are numbered, counting over 600. And it's a 6", not even a measly 5.5".

 

[Nolan7689]

Why is that? My phone has never seen a case in it's life, I have had it for almost two years. So yes it's days are numbered, counting over 600. And it's a 6", not even a measly 5.5".

Most people are overly rough on phones. And I'll admit to being guilty and having mine jump out of my breast pocket before (survived a few times before the screen cracked.)

I don't think I've dropped the current one at all, but if I didn't have a case on I know I would have because many phones seem to have wet bar of soap at the top of their design ideas board.

 

[steakman1971]

My friend had one of those style of cases on her iphone (I call it a "bumper" case, it's just around the edges and corners) and her phone was all jacked up. Better than nothing, but not great. Now if they could make a transparent back so you could still see the e-ink side, that would work.

My wife has an otterbox on her Galaxy S4 and I noticed the other day her screen was cracked in half. She has no idea how or when it happened. Really? I've seen her drop her phone 4 times a day. Guess she'll be getting a new phone now...

Yeah, I feel your pain. My wife drops her phone several times a day - also in an Otterbox. Sometimes she takes it out of the case - I'm like why are you doing that? She claims she is careful. In all honesty, I think I've only dropped a cell phone once. It didn't break either. She also lets random young kids use it - they chew on it, wipe snot on it, ... only a $600 dollar phone, no worries.

 

[cyclone3d]

Yeah, I feel your pain. My wife drops her phone several times a day - also in an Otterbox. Sometimes she takes it out of the case - I'm like why are you doing that? She claims she is careful. In all honesty, I think I've only dropped a cell phone once. It didn't break either. She also lets random young kids use it - they chew on it, wipe snot on it, ... only a $600 dollar phone, no worries.

From my experiences with a multitude of different cases.. and being an IT admin... Otterbox cases are pretty much complete trash.

The plastic on them shrinks and cracks.. and if you have one that has a built in "screen protector", you will end up with dirt/grit in between the screen and the "protector"

Not only that, but the way the rubber buttons are positioned on it can damage the buttons on an iPhone - words straight from an Apple store employee.

My current personal phone (LG G4) has a genuine leather flip case with a soft rubber holder for the phone itself. I also use a matte screen protector.

The absolute best iPhone case I have found is a PureGear Dualtek.

I have small kids and my wife's iPhone 6 has not had any damage done to is even though they handle it pretty much every single day. Other than the scratches on the plastic part of the case, the thing looks like new and she has had this specific case for over a year now.

I upgraded to an iPhone 6 for my work phone and spent hours online looking for a case for it and ended up deciding to get the same case my wife has because I was not able to find anything better.

Now, back OT. This Hisense phone looks very interesting. The res isn't some stupid high resolution like a lot of phones have... 4k on a 6" screen? Who needs that? Even a 15" laptop screen is not big enough to need a 4k screen. The other specs seem respectable.. and it has an e-ink screen on one side.

 

[ChadD]

I worked for a phone company handling repair intake for the city I live in some years ago. (I was around for iphone 1). To be honest cases are overrated. It gives people a false sense of "I can drop this and throw it around woops I sat on it... its in a case everything will be fine." I used to see just as many phones come in that where in cases as where not. The small bit of protection they offer is nullified by people who are more likely to be stupid when using them.

To the point of the article though. I love the idea. I could find lots of uses for an eink display on the backside of my phone. Just being able to use it as an ereader would be a selling feature for me. I wonder how much battery people would save... seems to me lots of people burn a ton of battery just doing things like checking the time... or if they have a new text. Both of those can be done on the eink.

 

[Tweak42]

Would be cool Lenovo made a moto mods ink screen for the moto z.

 

[M76]

Most people are overly rough on phones. And I'll admit to being guilty and having mine jump out of my breast pocket before (survived a few times before the screen cracked.)

I don't think I've dropped the current one at all, but if I didn't have a case on I know I would have because many phones seem to have wet bar of soap at the top of their design ideas board.

I've dropped the phone about 4-5 times. Maybe I was lucky or it is built better than other phones. But it happened more than once that it was on the armrest in the car, and when I opened the door it dropped to the pavement. The other occasions when it fell out of my pocket when I was taking off my coat.

 

[cyclone3d]

I worked for a phone company handling repair intake for the city I live in some years ago. (I was around for iphone 1). To be honest cases are overrated. It gives people a false sense of "I can drop this and throw it around woops I sat on it... its in a case everything will be fine." I used to see just as many phones come in that where in cases as where not. The small bit of protection they offer is nullified by people who are more likely to be stupid when using them.

To the point of the article though. I love the idea. I could find lots of uses for an eink display on the backside of my phone. Just being able to use it as an ereader would be a selling feature for me. I wonder how much battery people would save... seems to me lots of people burn a ton of battery just doing things like checking the time... or if they have a new text. Both of those can be done on the eink.

Tell that to my old Samsung Galaxy S5 that I lost one day and then the next day found it laying in the yard where I park my car. I actually ran over the phone with my car. Had it not been for the case, it would have been destroyed. Because of the case, it didn't have a single scratch on it.

 

[haste.]

Hmm. Would be kind of hard to put a case on that phone if it has displays on both sides. And without a case, any phone's days are numbered.

Never put a case on any of my phones and have been using smartphones since the G1. Don't be an idiot and take care of your phone and problem solved.

 

[ChadD]

Tell that to my old Samsung Galaxy S5 that I lost one day and then the next day found it laying in the yard where I park my car. I actually ran over the phone with my car. Had it not been for the case, it would have been destroyed. Because of the case, it didn't have a single scratch on it.

Unless it was in a military grade enclosure it was the phone that took the weight. Or your lucky and it sunk into some soft earth as it sounds like it wasn't on concrete. I have seen phones pretty much explode in high end cases after being dropped a few feet... and I have seen phones with out cases that still worked after being lost out side for weeks. The only thing I can say cases really do for sure is save your phone from scratches.

 

[TechLarry]

Any price estimates?

 

[N4CR]

Will be keeping my eye on this.
Options so far are W2016 until W2017 is replaced.
Or just splash out on the W2017

Or wait for this. This is probably much more sensible if there are no glaring major '.cn' issues..