Smartphones modelled on e-readers aren’t new. We’ve seen a few in recent months, but Hisense’s rumoured A10 could well add to their number. The Chinese company launched the Hisense A9 several years ago. It was exactly what you might expect — a smartphone with an e-reader screen. Now there’s supposedly a successor coming to play.
The Hisense A10 is only a rumour for now, but a teaser (and some leaks) point towards it having an E-Ink display in addition to its other smartphone functions. The biggest change here is an improved display, since the tech has moved on since 2022. But there’s also a general hardware upgrade. Which makes sense. Four years is a lifetime in tech.
A10 goes brrrt
According to various reports, Hisense’s new phone/reader will sport a 7in version of the Carta 1300 E-Ink display. It’s very similar to the screen found on the Boox P6 Pro. The internal specs may have seen a downgrade (kinda), thanks to various AI-manufactured pressures. The Hisense A9 had an eight-core Snapdragon chipset in 2022. The A10 will supposedly include a quad-core chip that hasn’t been detailed yet.
It may also be that Hisense doesn’t actually need that much power for this one. 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage match up with the most recent release, while a 4,500mAh battery will keep it all powered on. Hisense is supposed to be including a camera on the phone capable of recording video in HDR 4K. It’s doubtful you’ll be able to watch it on the phone, but it’ll be there. Somehow.
Bluetooth 5.1, 5G support, and an Android operating system are also part of the A10’s package. Unfortunately, there’s no sign of when (or where) it’ll become official. As with other phones and readers like this, it’ll probably be scarce in South Africa. That’s a pity. We’d love to try it out — just to see what the fuss is about. Pricing is similarly murky. If you’re only in it for the screen, a dedicated device would seem to make more sense.
