Hisense recently released a new tablet called the Hisense Q5 with a different type of display technology that is meant to be easier on the eyes.
Instead of a typical backlit LCD display, the Hisense Q5 has a reflective LCD display called RLCD. It has no lighting or color so it’s somewhat similar to E Ink screens. It reminds me of a few old school ereaders like the Aluratek Libre and jetBooks that had monochrome TFT screens instead of E Ink screens.
The Hisense Q5 is available to purchase from the Cect-Shop but it’s a pricey $425 plus shipping.
The Hisense Q5 has a 10.5-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800. The storage capacity is 64GB, plus it has a microSD card slot.
It has 4GB of RAM and a 1.82GHz octa-core processor, along with a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. It also has a micro HDMI port, a headphone jack, 4G LTE support, Bluetooth, a micro USB port, and a 5050mAh battery.
The device runs Android 10 but Google apps are not included.
It’s interesting to see a tablet with a different type of screen hit the market. The Hisense Q5’s RLCD display is faster and more responsive than E Ink, but I’m not sure there’s going to be much interest in a monochrome tablet with no lighting system.
To me the biggest failing is it only has 144 ppi. I gave up on tablets with anything under 224 ppi years ago. I don’t know how they can market the device as a reading tablet that is easier on the eyes and then use such a low resolution screen. Having no light is also a big negative, as you can see in the video below. So instead of blue light causing eyestrain, you’ll have to strain your eyes to read on a low resolution screen that’s dark and hard to read because there’s no light.
Quite right, gave up on e-readers with no lights years ago, also how does it compare battery life wise ?
Someone who has bought it says on Reddit it’s 1920×1080 pixels:
https://www.reddit.com/r/eink/comments/hmghq1/hisense_q5_vs_pixelqi_vs_hisense_a5c_pro/
Interesting. That would be 210 ppi if true, a considerable improvement.
Don’t know if this is the peoprr place to ask, but how. Do you think of 1st Gen color eink? This is a link on kind of Chinese YouTube.
https://v.youku.com/pad_show/id_XNDY1MTE1OTE0MA==.html
Looks like the new color E Ink tech has some potential, but so far ereaders that use color E Ink are only available in China.
Hopefully we’ll see a standalone monotask plain old hdmi monitor (with a dedicated souce select button), and no speakers please, speakers in monitors are so annoying, and please no drivers needed for 1080p.
And also a pocket reader with zero media functionality, like those old readers, no wifi either, just a barebones e-reader.
Have you seen the Waveshare E Ink Monitor?
Nathan, this is truly interesting and intriguing especially at the low price point as a viable and economical alternate to large screen e-ink eqreader, especially given how far and few between those still are an and their high cost.
Do you have any information regarding:
1. battery life.
2.. Visibility and readability of the screen in the bright sunlight.
3. Weight and comfort of
holding it in the hands for extended period of time.
4. Any personal experience buying/dealing with CSect-shop (what a weird name!), including shipping times.
On a somewhat related note: what is your current recommendation for the best e reader Android app for side-loaded epub and pdf ebooks for a tablet like that or even a phone?. Does this come with a decent app to read/manage epUb and PDF books?
Thank you so much for not abandoning this blog and keep providing current and fair coverage regarding the news/innovation filled with valuable and practical info about e-ink ereaders on this blog. Your hard and earnest effort is sincerely appreciated.
Lev
Sorry but I know virtually nothing about this device other than what is listed above. I’ve heard a number of positive reports at MobileRead of people buying Hisense’s E Ink phones from the Cect Shop so that’s why I felt comfortable enough to link to them. I can’t personally recommend an Android app for ePubs and PDFs because I prefer Onyx’s native app for PDFs on their E Ink Android devices and I’d rather use an E Ink ereader like a Kobo for ePubs. Lots of people like MoonReader or AlReader for ePubs on Android. I used to like the free Foxit app for PDFs on tablets but I haven’t used it in a long time.
pls do a extensive video/blog review on RLCD display (which is used on hisense Q5).
Like what is the price of this display panel, etc.
Sadly Hisense didn’t send one to Nathan to test. They don’t seem to have much interest to sell out of China though…
I don’t think he’ll just but one for review purpose, unless someone send for him.
For the record, I hate receiving review units and only do so when there is no timely alternative. It is my personal opinion that reviewers should buy the products they review. It makes the review more genuine when you spend your own hard-earned money on the product. I don’t trust reviews where the reviewer is given the product for free. That’s why all the big tech sites can’t post a decent ereader review—they aren’t experts in the field and don’t know what they’re talking about most of the time.