The thought behind the development of e-paper is that consumers will eventually not need to buy individual printed magazines, nor receive printed reports or brochures, but merely download the digital files from wireless internet onto their e-paper. For now though LG is developing e-paper as a display media.

The e-paper – which measures 35.9cm (14.1") across its diagonal and is just 300 micrometres (0.3mm) thin – can display up to 4096 colours. LG Phillips said it is designed to be energy-efficient, only using power when the image changes on the display, it said.

Chung In-Jae, chief technology officer and executive vice-president of LG Philips said, "This represents the next generation in display technology."

The new display product's potential applications "are incredible and will allow our customers to create new products that are not only convenient to use but also save natural resources", he added.

LG Philips said it developed the world's first 25.65cm flexible black-and-white e-paper in October 2005 and a 35.8cm follow-up – which matches the most common copy size – in May 2006.

E-paper may be perceived by the green lobby as having the power to stop the world's forests being chopped down, and close the world's paper mills, which in the current climate would bring a positive response from consumers.

However while the name e-paper conjures up all sorts of images of this product being an alternative to conventional paper, we're still a long, long way from a real paper substitute. Yes, this display is very thin, and yes, it's in colour, but it still doesn't have the same physical qualities of paper that makes paper so versatile – for example, it can't be rolled up or folded.

Still, it shows that LG Philips LCD has vision, even if this isn't yet quite the game changing development that will close down the paper industry.

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