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The Hisense A10 has a removable magnetic color display on the back that lets you switch between E Ink and color.
Since becoming fascinated by the Cambridge coffee shop webcam in the 1990s, I’ve written about VPNs, the NFL, smartphones, decent salaries, plus/minus and everything in between.
E ink is cool. It’s easy to read, doesn’t drain the battery, and looks like real paper (sort of). Having more than just one phone screen is also cool. The new Hisense A10 meets both of these criteria, and that’s why it piqued my interest.
Hisense, a Chinese company known for its consumer electronics products, mainly televisions and home appliances, officially announced the A10 on Monday. As noted insider Experience More posted on Weibo, the phone’s main screen uses E Ink and it also has a detachable color LCD on the back. Hisense teased the A10 last month.
Initially available in China for around $600, it’s unclear when it might reach US markets. Gagadget said it’s possible that U.S. buyers will have to go through AliExpress, eBay or other specialty retailers.
The insider said the removable magnetic display might not be included with the phone and would be sold separately. This could be similar to Vamvo screen which can be connected to iPhones and Android phones.
A10 could offer customers a lot of flexibility. They can take just their primary E Ink phone with them for simple calls and texts, while preserving their battery life, or they can connect the second display for videos, games or other apps requiring color and graphics. Hisense did not specify how the two displays would communicate data.
In terms of specifications, Experience More said that the main screen of the A10 measures 6.13 inches and is a black and white E Ink display. With Android 16, the phone runs on 5G and uses a 4nm Qualcomm octa-core chip, which isn’t as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
A Hisense representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Drawn to E Ink
I’m fascinated by Hisense’s unique twist on the “more screen, the better” trend as foldables take center stage and the Apple Ultra or Fold potentially debuts this fall. But I’m even more interested in a second screen paired with a primary E Ink display.
E Ink phones are a small market that is gaining ground. By replacing harsh, bright displays with paper-like displays, they eliminate glare, reduce eye strain, and significantly increase battery life. The main tradeoff is that they’re not designed for fast scrolling or watching videos. But for fans, this distraction-free simplicity is the main attraction.
I used the Amazon Kindle and a Kobo e-reader – both of CNET’s e-readers most popular brands — and it’s amazing how easy it is to read books about them. With anti-glare screens and matte finishes, they even look like real paper. I love the combination of the simplicity of the E Ink phone with the versatility of video and apps.
Tech tester Austin Evans, who has nearly 6 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, said the Hisense A10 offers a good return to a more minimalist phone experience without sacrificing useful apps.
Even though most of us know we spend too much time on our devices, going back to a flip phone means losing access to convenience and social connection, Evans told CNET.
“An E Ink phone is generally compatible with the apps you rely on, but the screen quality and refresh rate are too limited for extended scrolling.” In other words, an E Ink phone could give us the functionality of a smartphone without the addictiveness of a smartphone.
Since becoming fascinated by the Cambridge coffee shop webcam in the 1990s, I’ve written about VPNs, the NFL, smartphones, decent salaries, plus/minus and everything in between. See full bio
