A dedicated e-paper zone at a recent domestic IoT industry exhibition showcased a wave of new products, highlighting how e-ink technology is being applied across retail, office and home scenarios. Color e-ink displays and low-power terminals were the highlights of the zone.
The most essential feature of e-ink displays isbistable reflective display, which consumes power only when the image changes; while a static image is displayed it uses almost no power, and the image is retained even after the power is cut. It forms images by reflecting ambient light and needs no backlight — no harmful blue light, no flicker. Its visual quality is close to that of printed paper, so prolonged viewing rarely causes eye strain. It also stays clear under bright sunlight and offers wide viewing angles, making it a natural fit for static text-and-image displays.
In terms of industry data, according to CINNO ePaper Insight, global e-paper terminal sales reached about 290 million units in the first half of 2026, up 25.1% year on year. Electronic shelf labels remain the largest base of the industry, and smart retail continues to drive steady growth in e-paper demand. Beyond retail price tags, the focus of industry innovation is extending into more niche scenarios: consumer and IoT terminals such as home static art displays, portable reading devices and information signage are increasing rapidly, and the number of small and medium-sized e-ink products keeps climbing. The industry data above is compiled from research reports publicly released by CINNO ePaper Insight and is provided for industry reference only.
Upstream panel makers continue to tackle technical challenges such as color display, ghosting optimization and refresh algorithms. As the cost of color e-ink panels gradually declines and color reproduction and contrast keep improving, the application space on the consumer side opens up further. Limited by its refresh characteristics, e-ink is not suited to playing dynamic video; yet thanks to its differentiating advantages of ultra-low power consumption and eye protection, it offers competitiveness that LCD and OLED screens cannot replace in scenarios requiring long-term static display of text and images.
Industry analysts believe that while the traditional e-reader market remains stable, emerging consumer scenarios such as home decor and desktop information displays will become an important growth track for the e-ink industry going forward. As technology continues to iterate, more creative static-display hardware will find its way into everyday life.
