Ricoh has launched a wireless touchscreen display for smartphones

Ricoh’s wireless display hints at a future with ‘virtual smartphones’ in the cloud
(photo: Ricoh)

Japanese electronics manufacturer Ricoh has offered innovative approach to extend the functionality of smartphones. Malk wireless monitor with dimensions of a tablet mirrors the screen of a smartphone connected to it.

The Ricoh 150BW portable monitor has a 15.6-inch display and weighs just 715g, Nikkei Asian Review reports about the device. Smart Streaming Engine (SSE) technology allows the user with a smartphone in their pocket to see what is happening on the screen of a wirelessly connected touchscreen display.

The SSE technology was developed by the startup Team S, founded by former Sharp employees. The developers have achieved a sync signal delay time of less than 100ms, which is sufficient for most usage scenarios.

The portable wireless monitor is said to cost significantly less to manufacture than similarly sized full-featured tablets because it doesn’t require expensive hardware or additional apps. In addition, after deactivation, the device does not store any data, which reduces the risk of leakage of confidential information.

The development of technologies related to high-speed 5G networks can help replace smartphones – wireless displays like the one presented by Ricoh can connect to “virtual smartphones” in the cloud. Team S plans to build such a prototype this year.

Right now, though, the wireless touchscreen isn’t cheap at all—it’s priced higher than many tablets, even though it has limited hardware. The Ricoh display costs $610 to $690.