Samsung has launched a new 13-inch colour e-paper display that it says is the world’s first commercial screen built using a bio-resin derived from phytoplankton designed for ultra-low power use.

Expanding Samsung’s e-paper range launched last year, the product is aimed at businesses still relying on printed signs for shelves, counters, doors and point-of-sale displays.

Roughly the size of an A4 sheet, the display offers a 1,600 x 1,200 resolution in a 4:3 aspect ratio and is designed to replicate the look of paper with full colour.

Unlike conventional digital signage, the display consumes no power when showing static images. Energy is only used when content is updated, keeping overall power consumption far lower than traditional LCD or LED signage.

An embedded rechargeable battery, USB-C charging and multiple mounting options mean the unit can be deployed without fixed power cabling.

The screen measures just 17.9mm thick and weighs 0.9kg including the battery, making it easy to reposition as campaigns change.

Samsung says its colour imaging algorithms smooth gradients and sharpen contours to deliver a “paper-like” appearance that helps businesses transition away from printed posters.

The headline innovation, however, is the housing.

Samsung says the casing has been independently verified by UL to contain 45% recycled plastic and 10% bio-resin derived from phytoplankton.

The company claims this material choice can cut carbon emissions during manufacturing by more than 40% compared with conventional petroleum-based plastics. Packaging for the product is also entirely paper-based.

Content management is handled through the Samsung E-Paper App for local updates, while remote management is supported via Samsung’s cloud-based Visual eXperience Transformation (VXT) platform, which includes colour preview and optimisation tools tailored for e-paper displays.

Samsung also confirmed it will debut a new 20-inch colour e-paper model at ISE 2026 in Barcelona in early February, further expanding a lineup that already includes a 32-inch version.