14 DAY TRIAL // Qualcomm is known for many things, but displays aren't exactly the main source of its fame, something that may or may not change after the most recent deal is closed.
Though Qualcomm is primarily a developer of mobile products and wireless technology, it also dabbles in fields like entertainment devices and displays.
As it happens, one of the display technologies it owns has yet to make a relevant impact on the target field.
Mirasol displays are low-power color screens that were supposed to become part of e-readers months ago.
Unfortunately, the few devices used as a demo and/or trial run, as well as the Kyobo (tested here) failed to impress, since the e-readers turned out to be too expensive and/or just not powerful enough compared to the rest of their kind.
Qualcomm now plans to buy Pixtronix, a company that develops a similar MEMS-based display technology.
Called PerfectLight, its solution is supposed to have viewing angles of 170 degrees while using a fourth of the energy that regular LCDs rely on.
PerfectLight is also described as possessing a high contrast while not costing overly much to produce.
For those who want numbers, a PerfectLight panel features a contrast ratio of 3,000:1 and a color depth of 24-bit. Furthermore, full-speed video playback is included in its asset list.
The deal between Qualcomm and Pixtronix is dependent on a payment of $175 to $200 million (133.12 to 152.13 million Euro).
Unfortunately, neither company made an official statement: all this information emerged through EE Times.
As such, it is impossible to know for sure what the terms of the agreement are. Even more, there is no way of knowing how Qualcomm plans to combine Mirasol with PerfectLight, if it even has plans for such a thing.
Equally unknown is the time it will take for color e-reader equipped with new MEMS screens to crop up.