Amazon has acquired Samsung’s Liquavista display technology company, as reported today by Nate Hoffelder on his Digital Reader blog, and confirmed by the company. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
The move gives Amazon a potential path to giving its Kindle e-readers a color screen, moving beyond its existing black-and-white displays. Liquavista specializes in “electrowetting” technology that promises an alternative to existing E Ink screens, with the ability to play video and other media while still ensuring long battery life.
Amazon says in a statement, “We are always looking for new technologies we may be able to incorporate into our products over the long term. The Liquavista team shares our passion for invention and is creating exciting new technologies with a lot of potential. It’s still early days, but we’re excited about the possibilities and we look forward to working with Liquavista to develop these displays.”
Liquavista is based in the Netherlands. Here’s an IEEE Spectrum video with more on the technology.
