Dual-Screen E-Ink Phones Are Here: Bigme vs. Hisense

Dual-Screen E-Ink Phones: One Idea, Two Very Different Bodies

A dual-screen phone that pairs an e-ink display with a conventional LCD is a hybrid smartphone design aimed at reading-focused users who want a paper-like experience, longer battery life, and lower eye strain for text-heavy tasks, while still keeping a secondary color screen for video, gaming, and fast scrolling when needed. The Bigme HiBreak Dual 2 and Hisense A10 phone prove that e-ink display smartphones are no longer quirky experiments but serious attempts to redesign daily phone use around reading and comfort, not endless glowing animations. Both target the same niche, yet they could not disagree more about how those two screens should live together: one favors a mechanical flip, the other a detachable screen phone. The winner is not about raw specs; it is about which form factor fits how you actually hold and use your device.

Bigme HiBreak Dual 2: Flip to Trade Pixels for Paper

Bigme’s answer is unapologetically hardware-first: weld both worlds into one slab and let you flip between them on demand. On one side sits a 6.13-inch E Ink display, offered either as black-and-white at 824 x 1648 pixels or a color option that supports up to 4096 colors, with lower resolution in color mode. On the other side is a 5-inch LCD with a 1280 x 720 resolution, dense enough for crisp video, social feeds, and gaming. Under that dual personality, the Bigme HiBreak Dual 2 runs a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 with configurations of 12GB RAM and 256GB storage or 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, a 4450 mAh battery with 30W fast charging, dual-SIM 5G, a 50MP rear camera, 5MP selfie camera, fingerprint sensor, USB-C, stereo speakers, and dual microphones. On Kickstarter, the base black-and-white model starts at USD 599 (approx. RM2,760), with color or higher RAM costing USD 200 (approx. RM920) more. This is a classic e-ink display smartphone: color and speed when you want, paper-like calm when you flip.

The key appeal is seamless switching. You do not carry an accessory, you do not snap anything on; you physically turn the phone over and your world becomes text-first. For long reading sessions, the front light offers 36 levels of brightness and color temperature, so you can tune it warm at night and cooler in daylight without shining light directly into your eyes. The optional pressure-sensitive stylus lets the E Ink side double as a note-taking pad or sketch surface. Yet there are caveats: this is still a crowdfunding project, which can fail even for established hardware brands. Bigme ships with Android 16 and calls the phone "future proof," but Android 17 is already out and there is no promise of timely OS updates. In other words, Bigme nails the hardware concept but remains a question mark on long-term software support.

Hisense A10: Modular E-Ink First, LCD When You Care

Hisense takes almost the opposite stance. The Hisense A10 phone treats the e-ink display as the primary experience and pushes the LCD into a detachable accessory. On the front you get a 6.13-inch black-and-white E Ink screen tuned for reading, calling, messaging, and battery endurance. The color LCD lives on the back—but magnetically, so you can snap it on only when video, gaming, or rich apps matter. According to one report, the A10 runs Android 16 on 5G with a 4nm Qualcomm octa-core chip that is “not quite as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Elite.” The phone alone is expected to cost about USD 590 (approx. RM2,720), and the detachable screen might cost as much as USD 440 (approx. RM2,030) on top of that. That makes the A10 a modular e-ink display smartphone that asks you to pay for flexibility instead of integrating everything from the start.

The philosophy here feels more disciplined: treat the glowing LCD as optional, not default. You can carry the A10 as a pure E Ink phone for day-long reading, note-taking, and basic tasks, then attach the LCD only when you need color and animation. That modularity tackles Android’s weakness on slow-refresh e-ink panels by keeping heavy visual apps off the main screen. There are unanswered questions, though. Hisense has not fully detailed how the detachable LCD communicates with the phone, nor has it confirmed whether the add-on ships in the box or always separately. And while E Ink phones are gaining traction by reducing glare, eye strain, and boosting battery life, they still are not ideal for fast scrolling or smooth video. Hisense solves that with a dual-screen phone idea, but at the cost of price and accessory complexity.

Flip vs. Detach: Which Hybrid Design Fits Real Life?

Both devices chase the same pain point: glowing rectangles that wreck your eyes during long reading sessions. E Ink screens offer a paper-like viewing experience that works with ambient light rather than blasting light at your face, and many people find this easier on the eyes when reading ebooks or documents. They also tend to extend battery life, since they only draw power when the page changes. But e-ink panels still are not built for fast scrolling, web surfing, or video. The Bigme HiBreak Dual 2 responds by putting a full LCD permanently on the other side of the phone; Hisense responds by making the LCD a detachable magnetic module you snap on as needed. In short, Bigme bets on seamless switching, Hisense bets on flexibility. Neither choice is neutral—it reflects how each brand thinks you should balance attention and convenience.

The flip design is ideal if you often bounce between reading and regular smartphone use. You can treat the Bigme as a normal phone, then flip to the E Ink side whenever you want focus and comfort. There is no accessory to lose, and your camera pairs neatly with the LCD for framing shots. The detachable screen phone concept suits people willing to treat the LCD as occasional, not constant. You can keep the Hisense A10 as a lightweight E Ink communicator most days, then attach the LCD for trips, flights, or media-heavy evenings. Yet that same modularity means more moving parts and cost, and you must remember to bring the second screen with you. Both still sit in a niche market, and both depend on Android 16 tuning for a slow-refresh primary display. Neither is perfect—but they push the smartphone in a healthier direction.

Conclusion: E-Ink Hybrids Signal a Healthier Smartphone Future

The real story is not which phone wins a spec war; it is that reading-first phones exist at all. The Bigme HiBreak Dual 2 proves a mechanical flip can turn a single device into both a fast LCD phone and a paper-like reader with stylus potential, at the cost of trusting a crowdfunding campaign and uncertain software updates. The Hisense A10 phone counters with a modular concept that keeps e-ink front and center, sending the LCD to accessory status and asking you to pay for flexibility. E Ink phones are a small but growing segment that trade animation for comfort, trimming glare and eye strain while extending battery life. Whether you prefer flipping or snapping, these dual-screen phone designs challenge the idea that your main display must always be a bright, high-refresh slab. For people who read more than they scroll, that is not a niche gimmick—it is overdue.