Waveshare ESL e-Paper Displays Feature Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, and 5-Year Battery Life

Waveshare has recently launched the ESL-ePaper-xxxx, a series of ESL e-Paper Displays featuring Bluetooth 5.1 and NFC connectivity, designed for IoT, retail, industrial, and similar applications.

These displays support four colors (red, yellow, black, and white) and are available in sizes ranging from 2.13″ to 3.5″, with resolutions up to 384 × 184 pixels. They operate on an ultra-low power design, using a built-in 1200mAh coin cell battery that can last up to five years. Additionally, the displays can be updated remotely via Bluetooth or locally through NFC, and they integrate with Waveshare’s cloud platform through a BLE base station, which connects via dual-band WiFi and is powered by a 48V PoE supply. Housed in a durable ABS plastic case with a 178° viewing angle, these displays are ideal for price tags, shelf labels, asset tracking, and conference name tags. However, their operating temperature range is limited to 0°C–40°C, and the 2.9″ model appears to use Bluetooth 5.0 instead of 5.1.

Previously we have written about various e-paper displays including the Waveshare 4-inch E-Ink Spectra 6 (E6) Full-Color E-Paper Display, the LILYGO T3S3 E-Paper, the Inkplate 6 MOTION e-paper display, the LilyGO TTGO T5-4.7 E-Paper, and many others feel free to check those out if you are interested in other e-paper displays.

Waveshare  ESL e-Paper Displays Specifications

• Display
  • Technology: E-Paper (Electrophoretic)
  • Colors: Red, Yellow, Black, White
  • Viewing Angle: 178°
  • Sizes & Resolutions:
    • 2.13″ – 250 × 122 pixels (130 DPI), 48.55 × 23.7mm display area
    • 2.66″ – 296 × 152 pixels (125 DPI), 60.09 × 30.7mm display area
    • 2.9″ – 296 × 128 pixels (112 DPI), 66.9 × 29.06mm display area
    • 3.5″ – 384 × 184 pixels (122 DPI), 79.68 × 38.18mm display area
• Connectivity
  • Bluetooth 5.1 Low Energy (BLE) (2.9″ model listed as Bluetooth 5.0)
  • NFC for local updates
• Power
  • built-in replaceable 1200mAh coin cell battery
  • Ultra-low power consumption (only required during content updates)
  • Up to 5 years of battery life
• Dimensions:
  • 2.13″ – 71 × 34.7 mm
  • 2.66″ – 85 × 41 mm
  • 2.9″ – 92 × 41.5 mm
  • 3.5″ – 101.5 × 50 mm
• Enclosure: ABS plastic
• Operating Temperature: 0°C to 40°C

The main drawback is the 40°C max operating temperature, which may be limiting. Additionally, the ESL-ePaper-2.9G model lists Bluetooth 5.0 instead of 5.1 like the others, though it’s unclear if this is a typo. Since Bluetooth 5.4 introduced ESL support, the displays don’t use the latest standard. More details on setup and documentation are available on Waveshare’s wiki.

The displays connect to a BLE base station, enabling control via the ESL Waveshare cloud platform. The station supports dual-band WiFi (2.4GHz/5GHz), 48V PoE, and speeds up to 1167 Mbps, with a 10–30m indoor range. It measures 180 × 180 × 33mm and operates from -10°C to 60°C.

ESL Gateway AP Specifications

• Wireless: Dual-band WiFi 5 (2.4GHz & 5GHz)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth LE for ESL updates
• Power: 48V PoE
• Data Speed: Up to 1167 Mbps
• Range: 10–30 meters indoors
• Operating Temperature: -10°C to 60°C
• Dimensions: 180 × 180 × 33mm

The complete ESL kit, including the gateway and four displays, is available on Amazon for $467.99 and on AliExpress for $459.99. Individual display bundles are also available on Amazon. You can also check out the Waveshare store for more information.

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