ePaper screen phone case: Unlock unlimited creativity of personalized fashion

 

On April 8th, 2022, while tuning in to the news on the Dedao APP, I came across some interesting market data about phone cases:

1.The global phone case market has been soaring past the hundred-billion-dollar mark since 2019.

2.There are well over tens of millions of consumers who swap out their phone cases with more than 12 different ones every year.

3.Hong Kong's brand CASETIFY, which focuses on personalized and IP-co-branded phone cases, achieved an impressive price range of RMB 300-500 per unit and raked in a turnover exceeding 800 million in 2021.

4.Phone cases have evolved far beyond just being protective accessories; much like bags, watches, and jewelry, they have transformed into fashionable pieces for users to express their individuality and style.

At that moment, as someone involved in the ePaper supply chain, a brilliant idea struck me. I wondered if I could create a unique DIY phone case with a display screen, allowing users to express their personality and style based on their mood and outfit—a truly personalized smart phone case.

Without wasting any time, I conducted thorough market research on the application of ePaper products. I discovered that there were already mature e-ink products such as electronic price tags, name badges, table displays, and electronic dictionaries. However, none of them were solely focused on the consumer market. As an e-ink industry veteran, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that such an eco-friendly and stylish display product like ePaper was yet to have a consumer-oriented, game-changing offering.

As a result, I immediately took two actions: firstly, I discussed and analyzed the feasibility of the ePaper smart phone case with engineers. Secondly, I researched ePaper products related to mobile phones, including the inkCase e-reader phone case from five years ago, the Hisense ePaper phone, and the Russian Yota dual-screen ePaper phone.

After conducting in-depth analysis and research, we reevaluated the characteristics of electronic ink screens and combined them with the features of smartphones. This led us to define our product as a lightweight, interactive dual-screen phone case. There were two essential requirements for our product:

Passive display: The product should not require continuous power supply during use to prevent the phone from overheating, which would severely impact the user experience.

Non-overlapping functionality: The product's features must not overlap with those of smartphones since smartphones already possess nearly perfect functionality.

In this way, we aimed to create a unique and practical ePaper phone case that offers a seamless user experience without compromising on its distinctiveness.

 

As a result, we produced a comparison of the below products

 

Brand	Inkcase	Hisense	Yota	Inkzone	Inkzone (Explanation)
Product	E-reader case	ePaper phone	Dual ePaper	Dual DIY phone case	Smart ePaper phone case
Cost	Very high	High	Very high	Moderate	30% of Inkcase's cost
Price	Very high	Moderately high	Very high	Moderate	Comparable to CASTIFY's price
Function	E-reader, versatile	Regular smartphone	Regular smartphone	Image transmission/sharing	Simple functionality
Power	Requires continuous power	Requires continuous power	Requires continuous power	Power only when transmitting	Battery has negligible power consumption
Appearance	Bulky and unattractive	Regular	High-end	Ultra-thin high-end	Ultra-thin and light with matte texture
Safety	Fragile and unsafe	Fragile and unsafe	Fragile and unsafe	Curved, impact-resistant	Soft rubber protrusion for impact resistance

 

After making the decision to proceed, we focused on refining the following aspects of our product:

Firstly, we conducted a thorough evaluation of Bluetooth and NFC solutions. During this process, we considered over 7 different options and carried out validation tests. Ultimately, we opted for a solution that struck a balance between cost and performance, making it the most suitable choice.

Next, in order to ensure global coverage for our product, we directly developed a native app. Additionally, we invested in technological research and accumulation for this new product category. Currently, we have successfully derived three different branded smart phone case apps from our parent app.

Furthermore, concerning the product's appearance, as pioneers in this new product category, we opted for a universally accepted skin-like texture for our prototype. Our intention was to offer our prototype product to B2B brand manufacturers and distributors who could then freely add their own logos to the unbranded prototype product. This approach aimed to facilitate low-cost market validation for other B2B businesses and act as a catalyst for brand engagement.

Finally, we have developed both electronic solutions and apps for both IOS and Android platforms. However, during the product launch, we focused on the mainstream IPhone models. To maintain product quality and cater to the corresponding smartphone user base, we meticulously crafted the product using high-end materials for a premium tactile experience.

Currently, our marketing and advertising efforts have received a remarkable response, gaining recognition and love from our target customers on popular platforms like Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and Douyin (TikTok). In the e-commerce sector, we've also seen some promising results.

We have delved deep into understanding and catering to specific user segments:

A: We are targeting high-end smartphone users, aged between 18 and 35, with a decent spending capacity.

B: Our focus is on individuals who value freedom, love socializing, and have a strong urge for self-expression.

C: We are appealing to tech-savvy trendsetters who actively participate on fashion platforms like Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), DeWu (Got It), and others. They are the digital-savvy crowd, predominantly belonging to the younger generation, who enjoy sharing their latest discoveries and trendy experiences.

D: Our product is particularly well-suited for occasions that emphasize a sense of ceremony, such as couples, best friends, team-building events, and gifting scenarios.

After months of fine tuning, the world’s first black and white ePaper phone case was born!

Today, we are working with the top phone brands, electronics retails, leading phone case brands, and top eCommerce companies in Shezhen to develop new products. 

Here are our thoughts on the future development of ePaper phone cases:

      

 

New Opportunities and Challenges in the Market:

With the global proliferation of smartphones, the phone case market has experienced rapid growth. Consumers have shifted their focus from protective aspects of phone cases to considering them as fashionable accessories and a means of self-expression. However, as the phone case market becomes saturated and competition intensifies, traditional phone case designs are no longer able to meet the increasing demand for personalization. To address this challenge, phone cases must inevitably evolve towards a smart, personalized, and IP-based direction, and the smart ePaper DIY phone case emerges as an almost ideal product.

The low power consumption and excellent visibility of ePaper make it an ideal display solution, turning the phone case into a creative platform for DIY design. Firstly, its extremely low power consumption doesn't impact the smartphone's battery usage, preventing overheating issues. Secondly, as smartphones are used frequently both during the day and night, the ePaper display excels in direct sunlight, unlike regular TFT screens that experience blackouts under sunlight. This makes ePaper an ideal display option for smartphone cases.

 

The ePaper's low power consumption and excellent visibility make it an ideal display solution, turning the phone case into a creative platform for DIY design. Here are two key advantages:

1.Its extremely low power consumption ensures it won't affect the smartphone's battery usage or cause overheating issues.

2.As smartphones are frequently used during both daytime and nighttime, ePaper's sunlight-friendly feature allows it to function as a passive display, unaffected by blackouts common in regular TFT screens under direct sunlight. This makes ePaper highly suitable for phone cases.

Through our app, users can showcase their creative designs on the ePaper screen. Whether it's personal photos, custom illustrations, or trendy patterns, users can unleash their creativity and apply their designs to the phone case. This personalized experience breaks the limitations of traditional phone case designs, empowering everyone to become their own designer.

Second, the DIY ePaper smart phone case is leading the development of emotional and behavioral economics.

The smart DIY ePaper phone case is not just a personalized fashion accessory; it is also a means of emotional expression. Users can display their instant emotions through their creations, photos, and illustrations on the phone case. By sharing these emotions with friends and connections, the phone case becomes a more personalized and emotionally meaningful item.

How can a consumer product create emotional value? The simplest approach is to understand a certain category of common emotions and needs among the masses, accurately replicate them, and connect with the users emotionally. Through the highly utilized daily product, the phone case, we have achieved the goal of "you can see my emotions." Users can treat the DIY phone case as a product that truly understands them. By focusing on empathy, building narratives, and creating meaning around a shared emotional point, we delve into emotional details, making the phone case a vivid and lively product with a life of its own.

Traditional phone cases only attract users through different materials and images, but those are predetermined images set by the sellers, creating only a fleeting moment of empathy with the consumers. They fail to achieve the "my emotions have my exclusive channel of communication" aspect. The introduction of ePaper phone cases not only brings personalized creative fun to users but also represents a product of the most popular emotional economy trend. The DIY phone case transforms a phone case from a product with purely functional value to one with emotional value.

 

Why do consumers love buying furniture from IKEA? Besides the affordable prices and appealing designs, IKEA understands a crucial aspect for users: their desire for secondary creation with the products. Approximately 70% of IKEA's products are standardized, leaving 30% for personalized DIY customization. Similarly, when users utilize our smart DIY ePaper phone case and connect to the app, they can swiftly change the theme background image according to their preferences. This addresses the psychological needs of consumers that behavioral economists have been observing in recent years.

With the emergence of ePaper phone cases, we aspire to unlock new heights of personalized fashion for consumers and inject fresh vitality into this billion-dollar market. Through the application of ePaper technology, we grant everyone the opportunity to become their own designer and create unique themes. Let's venture into this realm of boundless creativity, showcasing our distinctive style and creativity. Together, let's embark on a new era of personalized fashion!