On a few excursions now when it’s been sunny, I’ve noticed that the display on the Kompact has become washed out and difficult to read. I think it occurs after the phone is exposed to sunlight for a time. Parts of the screen fade and leave an impression that the screen is failing/has failed. It’s difficult to interact with the phone in this state. After a while (away from exposed sunlight), it returns to normal. Is this a feature of the particular e-ink tech/panels used in the MK? I have other e-ink devices and haven’t experienced anything like this before. Natural light is where e-ink is supposed to shine!
This is a known effect of UV on E Ink screens, although I have never experienced it myself. Some e-Reader manufacturers apply UV blocking coatings to their screens to minimize the effect. I don’t whether the Mudita Kompakt has such a protective layer or whether the screenprotector has. If not, it would certainly be something to consider.
@petemeister I’m going to ask our team about this. It’s odd. Since I travel a lot, I do use my Kompakt in direct sunlight, all the time. Last week I spent hours without any share, standing in line to get into the St. Peter’s Basilica & I was reading a book
It’s honestly not odd at all, it’s a well-known phenomenon, inherent to the way E-ink works. Just search online for e-ink and UV and you’ll find plenty of faded or washed out screens.
I absolutely agree, in direct sunlight light I can see the screen better than the iPhone screen, Kompakt has a real nice screen. I know it’s not going to last forever, not a problem for me, I won’t last forever either.
My experience is to not use any phone or computer under intense sun for a duration that lets the long wave radiation physically heat up the electronics. I do try to keep it shaded when I use it outside, even if it is my own body shade.
I have an e-ink portable computer display and often sit out in the sun working and it has never experienced this issue. I also have a 3 e-ink tablets (rm1, rm2 and Supernote Manta). None of these show this issue. So, it isn’t characteristic of e-ink displays per se. There are, however, a few things which make the MK a different beast altogether:
(1) A phone has an active cellular radio, GPS, and other components generating heat from within, even when the screen is just sitting idle. A dedicated e-ink tablet in reading mode produces far less internal heat.
(2) Materials – the MK’s bucket design is a rubberised (black) casing, which means poorer heat dissipation than lighter-colored soft plastic e-readers. They are designed with this in mind.
After researching, what appears to be happening is heat-induced display degradation. E-ink involves particles suspended in fluid move in response to an electric field. When the panel heats up, that fluid becomes less viscous, causing the particles to drift out of position. The result is a washed-out, blotchy appearance that partially resolves itself when the panel cools down indoors.
I took some screenshots from the MK to show, but when I viewed them on my computer they appear fine, so it’s just the display layer that is affected. I aim to take pictures of the MK using my iPhone when this happens.
I would like to emphasize the fact that it occurs very quickly (after a couple of seconds !) in the direct sunlight of a sunny day, even when the temperature is not high (around 20°C).
The displays is like progressively “eaten” like Swiss cheese and washed out.
OK. So, we’re enjoying that rare thing in the UK today – sun! It’s forecast to hit a barmy 19ºC today, but hasn’t quite hit that figure yet. Even so, the effects on the MK are ruinous, with most deterioration visible on areas which should display black artefacts.
I’ve categorised these photos into 3 use cases:
(1) Showing the effects on the Home screen. I use inkOS – a text-based launcher, so mostly white bg and light text.
(2) Pocket Casts – a cross-platform app that uses a dark theme. See the Now Playing screen and Episode detail screen. iPhone shows how it should look. Compare the images for the deterioration of the MK in the sunlight.
Pretty similar to what I get – although I never wait so much before putting the Kompakt away from sunlight ! Which restores the picture pretty quickly.
So we both use the official new screen protector ?
Edit : BTW, it didn’t ruin my vacation
Edit 2 : also have the black one + official screen protector + official green case
Mudita Kompakt has limitations, for me, no big deal, I love it as a phone, it has simple functionality. Literature could include a blurb about exposure to full sun can affect the e-ink display.
I cannot see the iPhone screen in full sun and its very frustrating when I get a call and have to find the slider area and miss a call. iPhones in direct sunlight often suffer from severe performance throttling, displaying dimmed brightness and reduced speed to prevent overheating. The device may stop charging, experience slow performance, and, if temperatures exceed optimal ranges (32°F–95°F), it may display a temperature warning and trigger emergency shutdown protocols.
@petemeister Wow! This doesn’t look good at all. I’m sending these pix to our team for their comment. Personally, I’ve never experienced this, even on the beach in 30C weather- in direct sunlight.
@urszula , I noticed from your selfie with the kangaroo that you have a plastic white case. That may make all the difference. I went looking for the white case I ordered with my MK, but couldn’t find the box/case at all. It’s odd how these things disappear.
I’m loath to pay $20 for a case I’ve already bought once just to see if it makes a difference. I wonder, do you think C/Services might send me one to judge if it helps with thermals? I’ll return it, of course.
I have the pink case that was offered in the Kickstarter campaign. But yeah, it’s a very light, dusty pink color that could appear white. It wouldn’t hurt to reach out to our team & ask about your options. Also- I can ask if we have any distributors in the UK, so the shipping could be less.
Let me know what they reply ! I wonder if I should contact them too, considering I have exactly the same symptoms. I thought all units suffered from this…
@petemeister and @bidinou (and others who have the same washout), out of curiosity: do your phones have an original Mudita screen protector (or an alternative or no screen protector at all)?
