Is An E-Ink Display The Productivity Hack You Think It Is?

E-Ink, short for electronic ink, has been out there in the consumer electronics segment for a while now. But over the past couple of years, there has been a dramatic perception change. The technology has not only matured (going from black and white monochrome panels to color panels), but it is now also available on a wider range of devices, from tablets and note-taking slates to phones, monitors, and smartwatches. But more than the evolution of the tech stack, the audience has also started warming up to the tech for some non-obvious reasons, as well.

Of course, they're easier on the eyes and cut down on the blue-light exposure, which supposedly helps with sleep rhythms. Plus, E-Ink screens are far less taxing on the battery. The paper-like surface texture on the E-Ink Color panels is also a lot less reflective, so there's no glare problem to encounter. The most obvious benefit, however, is how they help you cut down on the distracting digital noise and keep you focused on the work at hand.

Over the past couple of years, I have experimented with a pocketable tablet featuring a color E-Ink panel, alongside a large note-taking tablet, a phone, and a phone-like Android-powered reader, all packing a monochrome black and white screen. After using all these E-Ink devices and learning to live with their obvious shortcomings, I came to the realization that these devices actually proved to be agents of enhanced productivity in their respective segments. On a few occasions, they actually surpassed their counterparts in meaningful ways.

One of the first E-Ink devices that I tried was the Boox Palma (and a few other devices of its ilk). It's a phone-shaped device that runs Android and goes for the spot that is usually reserved for the Kindle. The build quality of this device is astounding, but beyond that, it offers a deep level of control over how you interact with the display. From animation speed and screen refresh rate to contrast levels and text representation, the Palma offers an unprecedented level of control over the reading experience, something you won't find on any Kindle out there.

The most promising element is that it runs the full Android experience, which means you can download any app and access tools that you would like to access without making any functional sacrifices. When needed, you can access a full-featured web browser like Chrome (with all your saved data and credentials) as well as workplace communication apps such as Slack and Teams. 

It's like a full-fledged Android phone disguised as an e-reader device, with a fittingly minimalist screen tailor-made for binge-reading sessions that lets you tap into work mode without any overtly complex technical hoops. And yeah, it's good enough for audiobooks and YouTube videos, too, assuming you have no qualms watching a video in black and white. I even indulged in the occasional Angry Birds sessions. At the end of the day, I was able to extract far more functional utility from this E-Ink device than an average e-reader with a monochrome panel.

My time with the Boox Palma gave me enough confidence to try the Mudita Kompakt, a minimalist phone with an E-Ink display that focuses on reducing the digital dopamine sources in your day-to-day smartphone usage. There is no app store on this phone, and it focuses on an ad-free, tracking-free environment. There's even a dedicated button that kills access to the mic, WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular network. 

There are only basic apps installed on the device, though you can sideload crucial apps such as WhatsApp by sideloading it via the Mudita Center dashboard. Despite my skepticism, using the device for just a couple of weeks helped cut down on the time wasted on scrolling social media sites. Moreover, the E-Ink panel made sure that even when I relapsed and opened web versions of distracting sites like Reddit meme pages or Instagram, the black-and-white panel instantly made it appear a lot less engaging than it would on a rich OLED screen. 

With lower screen time and the frugal power draw of the E-Ink panel, this pleasantly compact phone can last two full days with ease, a huge respite from the battery anxiety that I was suffering with the iPhone. Switching over to an E-Ink slate, such as the Boox Tab X, wasn't any different from the Palma. I was able to perform better at the research and writing part of my job with extra focus. Overall, E-Ink devices have helped boost my productivity, and I would take that any given day over the few functional hiccups posed by a black-and-white display.