E Ink has launched Kaleido 4, the latest version of its colour ePaper display technology, saying it doubles the range of colours it can show and can play video at up to 18 frames per second. The first device to use it is the M10C II, a smart ePaper notebook from Chinese e-reader maker Hanvon Technology.
E Ink, which is listed in Taiwan, announced the screen in a press release distributed by PR Newswire on 15 October 2026. Neither company gave a price or release date in the announcement.
What’s new in Kaleido 4
ePaper screens reflect light rather than shining it at the reader, like paper, which makes them easy on the eyes and very light on battery. Colour versions have typically looked washed out next to phone and tablet screens. E Ink says Kaleido 4 narrows that gap. Compared with the previous generation, it:
- Doubles colour gamut volume to more than 40K, meaning a wider range of colours.
- Raises white reflectance by 15%, so the background looks brighter and closer to white paper.
- Improves contrast by 50%.
- Plays video at up to 18 frames per second, thanks to new algorithms.
E Ink says the result is a screen that can show “not only text, but also images, charts, presentations and video content with greater clarity,” while making the screen look less grainy.
“Color ePaper needs to deliver more than simply ‘color,'” said Johnson Lee, Chairman and CEO of E Ink.
The display also uses a new oxide TFT backplane, the layer of tiny transistors that drives each pixel. E Ink says it supports higher driving voltages and faster screen refresh. A redesigned front light, which lights the screen in the dark, also gives clearer, more natural colour, according to the release.
Hanvon’s M10C II
Hanvon, which E Ink describes as a leader in China’s e-reader market, combined Kaleido 4 with its own “Enhanced Pressure Floating” technology and a T2000 timing controller. Together they give “27% faster page turning and scrolling” on the M10C II, the release says.
The notebook includes Hanvon’s text recognition, voice and AI-powered office apps, cloud library sync and support for third-party apps. Its wireless, battery-free pen offers 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, and the glass surface is micro-etched to cut glare and give a paper-like feel when writing.
“The global debut of the M10C II featuring E Ink Kaleido 4 is not simply a screen upgrade,” said Wang Jie, Vice President of Hanvon Technology. He said Hanvon wants to take colour ePaper “beyond reading devices and into productivity scenarios.”
When it is expected to ship
E-reader news site Read with Pro reported that the M10C II is planned to go on sale in China in early December 2026. Neither E Ink nor Hanvon has confirmed that date, and no prices have been announced.
Read with Pro also reported that the device was shown at an event in Beijing on 15 October, and that it runs on a Qualcomm 4nm octa-core processor at 2.2GHz with 4GB of memory and 128GB of storage. It said the colour resolution has not been confirmed, and that Kaleido 4 arrived about two months later than first expected. The site noted that Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft uses the older Kaleido 3.
What’s still unknown
There is no word on prices, sales outside China, or which other brands will use Kaleido 4 and when. Colour resolution and battery life have not been published.
What to watch
Watch for official pricing and a confirmed launch date from Hanvon, and for other e-reader makers announcing Kaleido 4 devices.
What this means
- Better colour ePaper. E Ink claims twice the colour range, brighter whites and 50% more contrast.
- Video on ePaper. Playback at up to 18 frames per second widens what these screens can show.
- China first. The first device is Hanvon’s M10C II, reportedly due in early December.
Sources
- E Ink, “E Ink Launches Latest Version of Color ePaper Platform, E Ink Kaleido 4”, PR Newswire, 15 October 2026
- Read with Pro, report on the E Ink Kaleido 4 launch and Hanvon M10C II, 15 October 2026
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