An E-Reader That Opens Like a Book, Because It Is One
Two e-ink screens, a hinge, and zero cloud dependencies. Diptyx built an open-source reader shaped like the thing it replaced.
A small team in Lisse, Netherlands built the Diptyx E-Reader and funded it at 320% on Crowd Supply. Two 5.83-inch e-ink panels connected by a hinge. It opens and closes like a codex, which means the screens protect each other with no case required.
The spec sheet reads like a constraint exercise. ESP32-S3 processor, physical buttons instead of a touchscreen, EPUB-only with zero DRM, no internet connection required. Wi-Fi exists in the hardware but ships disabled. The batteries total 3,000 mAh across two cells, good for weeks of reading. Circuit boards are exposed on the outer shell, printed with art-nouveau illustrations, turning the guts of the device into decoration. Every component is modular and replaceable.
The book form factor disappeared from reading hardware because screens got bigger and cheaper. Diptyx treats the codex shape as a feature: two smaller screens doing the work of one large one while solving the protection problem that cases exist to address. What changes about your relationship to a device when it closes like something you already know how to hold?