Qualcomm buys Pixtronix; improved Mirasol displays en route?

In a sign that it may be looking to improve or complement its Mirasol readers, Qualcomm has bought out Pixtronix, a startup developing similar MEMS-based display technology that it calls PerfectLight. While neither company has made public statements regarding the deal, it was confirmed to EE Times, which reports that Qualcomm paid between $175 million and $200 million. Pixtronix claims that PerfectLight is a low-cost, high-contrast display solution that offers 170-degree viewing angles while using around a quarter as much power as traditional LCDs. Though better implementations should be on the way, we’ve found Mirasol to be not quite yet ready for prime time — the readers are expensive and performance isn’t great — so it’s no surprise to see Qualcomm doing all it can to improve its standing in the color e-reader space.