E-Ink screens are different from the standard LCD or OLED screen used by your smartphone. A traditional smartphone screen focuses on a high refresh rate, vibrant colors, and smooth animations. But E-Ink displays, like those on the Amazon Kindle, are designed to mimic the look and feel of paper and refresh much more slowly. As a result, you can comfortably read or scroll for long hours without straining your eyes. Dasung makes e-ink displays in all shapes and sizes and launched the original Link in 2022. The second iteration, Link 2, is available now and makes some necessary changes from its predecessor.
Dasung Link 2 uses a monochrome display with fast refresh technology and claims a five times faster refresh rate (60Hz) than the original Link. While it still doesn’t behave like a true 60Hz LCD or OLED display, the faster refresh performance makes reading, scrolling, and other actions smoother than an E-Ink display used in other products. It supports three front light color temperature modes and multiple display modes for better visibility. The Link 2 is positioned as a lightweight device to ditch the phone’s bright screen and opt for a calming, eye-friendly experience.
How the E-Ink screen works on the Dasung 2
E-Ink smartphones exist, but Dasung doesn’t claim to be one. Instead, it acts as a portable secondary display for your phone. You can connect wirelessly and mirror your phone’s screen to the Link 2, and it also supports “Reverse Touch” technology. Simply put, Link 2’s screen not only mirrors your phone’s screen but also records touch input. Link 2 supports Android phone brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, etc., as well as HarmonyOS and iOS devices. Some features only work with specific phone models and operating system versions. For example, using Reverse Touch when the phone screen is off is only available for Android 12 and above versions of certain phone brands.
Since Link 2 acts as a screen casting device, it does not pack a powerful SoC. It relies on your phone’s computing power, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a few other things to receive video signals and send inputs. Dasung Link 2 features an aluminum alloy frame, which lends sturdiness to its slim form factor. It doesn’t include a battery and relies on magnetic batteries that snap into the back and provide power, like MagSafe. You can also use a USB Type-C cable and connect it to a power bank or phone charger to power it.
Link 2 has a black and white screen, so it’s best used for reading books, documents, browsing the web, and a few social media apps. Videos and streaming apps won’t look good on the monochrome display because the refresh rate is geared toward slower screen interactions. Link 2 costs $329 and you have to spend $20 more for the battery, making it an expensive E-Ink display. It’s a niche device that can provide an e-reader-like visual experience, while still allowing you to access your smartphone’s apps and features.
