ELECTRONICS

Wexler launches the Flex ONE: First flexible ereader based on LG Electronic Paper Display

June 7, 2012

Wexler's Flex ONE, claimed to be the thinnest, lighest ereader yet, is the first flexible ereader based on LG's Electronic Paper Display technology

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With the launch of the aptly-named Flex ONE, Wexler is first to commercially launch a flexible ereader based on LG's Electronic Paper Display (EPD) technology. Wexler additionally claims that the Flex ONE is the thinnest and lightest ereader in the world. Weighing in at a mere 110-g (3.9-oz), the 4-mm (0.16-in) thick ereader delivers on LG's promise that EPD-based products would follow soon after the technology was announced.

Unsurprisingly for a reader based on EPD, the Flex ONE boasts a six-inch monochrome XGA (1024 x 768) display. The reader boasts a hefty 8 GB of storage, twice that of the Kindle DX, and four times that of Amazon's new Kindle, despite having a screen of identical size and being only two thirds its weight. As storage:weight ratios go, the Flex ONE is truly remarkable.

As you'd hope for a dedicated reading device, Wexler claims the Flex ONE can go weeks without a recharge thanks to its 900 mAh Li-ion battery. The device connects to a computer via a USB 2.0 port but is charged by means of a dedicated power adaptor.

Being without a touchscreen, the Flex ONE is controlled by a D-pad, while pages are turned with dedicated buttons.

The Flex ONE is compatible with ebooks in TXT, RTF, PDF, DOC, CHM, HTM/HTML, EPUB, FB2 and DJVU file formats, EPUB being perhaps the most compelling to consumers interested in commercial book releases. Note that this means the device is not compatible with a number of proprietary formats such as Amazon Kindle AZW files, though this is to be expected.

The Flex ONE will benefit from the inherent durability of LG's EPD, which reportedly withstood multiple hits with a urethane hammer without a scratch. Whether this makes the reader as impervious to damage as Wexler claims on the product page is doubtful.

E-Ink Info reports that the Flex ONE has gone on sale in China, but pricing at retail is not yet clear.

Sources: Wexler, E-Ink Info, via Good Ereader

About the Author

James is a graduate of the Open University, with a B.Sc. in Technology and a Diploma in Design and Innovation. After a decade in building design engineering, he side-stepped into writing about green tech and the environment. When not clattering about the web, he listens to early 90s hip hop, writes bad haiku and ponders the merits of an English three-man seam attack. All articles by James Holloway Follow @jamesholloway

3 Comments

Compatibility with native Kindle files is a non-issue, IMHO. Pass them through Calibre (with the right plugins) and save a copy as ePub or whatever format works for you.

flink
7th June, 2012 @ 07:10 am PDT

I do not care about flexibility. I want A5 size screen with enough resolution to properly display A4 formated PDF documents. And that for affordable price ($£€100).

Kris Lee
7th June, 2012 @ 12:13 pm PDT

I will still wait until a company realizes that I just don't want a wobbly tablet. I don't own a nook or a kindle or a kobo and I don't want one.

I want something flexible with two full-color 1960x1080 displays that places one page on the left and the next page on the right - just like a real book - that can be read in sunlight with no backlight, have a dim backlight for reading in the dark and not bothering other people. It should have a solar charger so I don't have to replace batteries. It should take SD cards or USB sticks and read PDF, DJVU, and epub at the very least. It really doesn't need automatic book download or any kind of networking, at least in the basic model. One with networking should be able to auto-update any newspapers I have a subscription to.

Is that REALLY so much to ask for? I'd still buy if it didn't have such a high resolution, but not if it looks like a substandard tablet PC like all current models.

Glen Canaday
17th August, 2012 @ 04:10 pm PDT