A reflective display, such as an electrophoretic display (EPD), and an emissive display, such as a backlit liquid crystal display, may be combined to form an amalgamated display. This combination may include layering one display atop the other, alternating reflective and emissive display elements, or otherwise interspersing reflective and emissive display elements with one another. Images on the amalgamated display may be presented using either reflective or emissive modes or a combination of the two, depending upon factors such as refresh rate, power consumption, presence of color and/or video, and so forth.