The Rise and Fall of Qualcomm Mirasol e-Readers
Mirasol e-paper know-how was conceptualized by electrical engineer Mark Miles, impressed by Blue Morpho butterflies, which mirror mild utilizing nanoscale constructions on their wings that trigger incoming mild waves to intervene with each other, reflecting solely particular wavelengths, ensuing within the look of an iridescent, good shade. Qualcomm purchased his firm in 2004 for $170 million and refined the know-how over time. It was imagined to take over the e-reader market and provides firms a viable shade display, however solely 4 merchandise had been ever launched. Qualcomm tried to pivot into the web of issues and developed the Toq smartwatch and a concept smartphone, nevertheless it did not get any traction. In 2013 Qualcomm introduced that Mirasol could be discontinued, after shedding $300 million. They stated that they might be open to licensing it, however no merchandise ever materialized. That is the misplaced historical past of Mirasol.
Qualcomm Mirasol shows used a completely totally different know-how in comparison with typical backlit LCDs, which create a picture by electrically positioning liquid crystals after which shining seen mild by means of it or the newer OLED, which creates an illuminated picture from diodes, requiring no backlight and creating deeper blacks.
Qualcomm IMOD know-how makes use of an array of microscopic mirror-like components that may mirror mild of a selected shade. Like OLED, it doesn’t require a backlight. It additionally solely makes use of vitality when being being switched on or off; as soon as a picture is created, it requires no energy to refresh or retain it, just like E-Ink shows utilized in e-readers just like the Kindle.
Additionally like E-Ink, IMOD know-how maintains full visibility in direct daylight, in contrast to LCDs and OLED. However relatively than transferring round dye like an E-Ink display, IMOD makes use of tiny transferring mirror-like components, known as being a micro-electro-mechanical system, or MEMS (also called a “micro-machine”). The draw back to IMOD has traditionally been that it reproduces flat, unsaturated colours, an issue that proved inconceivable to repair earlier than the tech was deserted.
In an effort to begin commericalzing Mirasol, Qualcomm spent virtually one billion {dollars} on a devoted manufacturing unit in Taiwan to provide the screens. It was stated that Mirasol shows had been comparatively simple to provide from a typical FPD (Fabrication and Prototype Design) fab, noting that “the overarching manufacturing advantage of Mirasol show manufacturing is that the method was engineered to make the most of infrastructure already in place in FPD fabs. The entire supplies used for Mirasol show fabrication at present exist inside the FPD palette and, typically, substitute supplies could also be utilized. The tip outcome is a versatile and sturdy course of that permits conversion, with minimal modification, of many FPD fabs into Mirasol show foundries, minimizing the time wanted to convey IMOD know-how to market.
I heard from a former engineer that used to work there that when the manufacturing line in Taiwan began to churn out shows, there was a 50% failure charge and the screens had been completely ruined. That is possibly why there have been solely 4 totally different firms that ever adopted the screens in a commercially viable product. Bambook had the Sunflower, Kyobo launched their very own mannequin after which there was the Koobe Jin Yong and one other system by Hanvon.
I reviewed all of those e-readers and located on the time, this was a courageous new world of shade e-paper. Solely Qualcomm and E Ink had been creating this kind of display know-how, however the colours on each firms merchandise ended up trying actually washed out. You’ll be able to see an indication of Triton and Mirasol with a comparability we carried out with the Kyobo and the Ectaco Jetbook Shade.
Sadly, these had been the one e-readers ever to make use of Mirsol and as soon as their preliminary manufacturing run was offered out, they by no means positioned extra orders. Mirasol made the decision to go away the market to E-Ink, who already had grow to be the market chief and compelled Bridgestone, Pixel Qi and Plastic Logic to exit the house totally.
The Toq
E-Readers had been clearly not the way in which of the longer term, as a substitute Qualcomm tried to benefit from the entire The Web of Issues catch all class. I used to be one of many few journalists in attendance when ed SID Show Week 2013 occured in my very own yard of Vancouver, BC.
I managed to attain an unique interview with the brand new public face of Mirasol, Jesse Burke. He defined that Mirasol know-how had an current roadmap and that it has deviated from it in small methods to courageous a brand new frontier of wearable know-how. There have been three new merchandise showcased on the occasion, reminiscent of a smartwatch, a secondary display for a cellphone, and predominant display for a cellphone.
Qualcomm needed to increase the present Mirasol tech to make it match on smaller gadgets. When the tech was employed on e-readers they’d two totally different layers on the display and made the colours look washed out. As an alternative after numerous growth, Qualcomm managed to merge the 2 layers, producing wealthy and vibrant shade.
The Mirasol smartwatch was the principle attraction at SID and had a 1.2 inch display that will final a number of weeks earlier than needing a recharge. The intention behind this product is not only to inform the time, however to be an extension of your digital life. On common, we attain for our smartphones virtually 100 occasions a day, to test Twitter, Fb, messages, and missed calls. The watch will ping you with Google Now updates, Fb Dwelling, and different important apps. Primarily, it should function a secondary display that may help you in staying on high of all of the motion, with out always referencing your cumbersome cellphone.
Smartphone tech was one other large gambit for Mirasol display know-how and so they actually hyped to me that the common cellphone has a battery lifetime of 12-24 hours, relying in your use. Mirasol will lengthen this as much as six occasions, which quantities to hefty financial savings over LED and OLED screens.
There have been two cellphone shows proven at SID, one was a completely featured smartphone, utilizing Mirasol, and the opposite was a second show display on the again of the cellphone, that attracts parallels with the YotaPhone. The smartphone had sported a 5.1-inch panel with a shocking decision of two,560 x 1,440 pixels and 577 ppi. The second show was on the again of the cellphone, and mirrors the watch by way of type and performance. It permits you to have a secondary display with devoted apps operating on it. Helpful, nevertheless it stays to be seen if multi-screen smartphones are viable together with your common client.
Qualcomm by no means launched any of those merchandise on their very own and tried to seek out firms that wished to license the know-how to develop their very own merchandise. The telephones and smartwatch had been merely a proof of idea that by no means went anyplace.
Quite a lot of firms introduced smartphones that had been going to make use of Mirasol, such because the Cal-Comp iT-810 and the Inventec V112, however they by no means materialized.
The Apple Connection
In 2015 Qualcomm took a $142 million cost on its Mirasol show enterprise, when it couldn’t discover anyone to license their know-how and the smartphone and pill market grew to become firmly entrenched with LCD and OLED screens.
Data from the Hsinchu Science Park administration workplace, which manages the Longtan facility the place Mirasol show merchandise had been manufactured, show Apple moved into the manufacturing unit in April 2015 and that Qualcomm Panel Manufacturing Ltd. had occupied the location from 2008.
It was stated on the time that Apple poached most of the engineers that used to work there to make their iPhone and iPad merchandise slimmer and have higher battery life.
Mirasol, what may need been
Most of the former executives and engineers that used to work at Mirasol are jaded from the time invested engaged on a know-how, that by no means went anyplace. They’ve a tough time even speaking about it.
At its peak Mirasol had cross-functional groups in San Diego, San Jose, Hsinchu, and Longtan. That they had grand ambitions for the know-how, however shareholders had been uninterested in the division always shedding cash. Qualcomm as a substitute determined to energy the smartphone revolution with their Snapdragon processors, which proceed to be the business normal.
I believe many individuals don’t notice the impact that Mirasol had on the e-reader revolution. Over a number of brief years they had been a significant participant in shade e-paper and it was thought they might give E Ink some severe competitors. E Ink had the biggest clients on the time, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony and most of the European manufacturers. Mirasol had South Korea and China firmly locked up and if they might have sorted out their manufacturing woes, they actually might have amounted to one thing nice. As an alternative, they deserted E-Readers, tried to capitalize on the entire web of issues class and rapidly suspended growth on all the things. Too many failures and never sufficient market penetration resulted in Mirasol turning into a misplaced know-how, that few individuals will ever bear in mind.
Michael Kozlowski has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the previous twelve years. Newspapers and web sites such because the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Submit and the New York Instances have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.