Apple ‘testing’ foldable with secondary E Ink display, says analyst

Image: E Ink

The color display from E Ink has the potential to become a mainstream solution for foldable devices, according to an analyst. He says that the E Ink display is being tested in applications.

Most foldables on the market today have a larger inner display and a smaller outer display that can be used to quickly check notifications. Both the Oppo Find N and theSamsung Z Fold 3 use the same panels. Apple's use of an E Ink screen would make for a less responsive outer display with fewer colors, but it could be more power- efficient.

Apple is testing E Ink's Electronic Paper Display (EPD) for future foldable device's cover screen & tablet-like applications. The color EPD has the potential to become a mainstream solution for foldable devices' must-have cover/second screen thanks to its excellent power-saving.

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 17, 2022

E Ink has a line of color screens as well as the monolithic displays used in Amazon's Kindles. E Ink Gallery 3 is a new version of its color E Ink technology that is capable of producing more colors at a higher resolution. It can refresh quicker than the company's previous color screens, but it still isn't as responsive as an equivalent panel. The videos show how the display can be folded or rolled.

There have been rumors that Apple is going to release a foldable device. As of April this year, there were reports that Apple was working on a foldable display, and that it could be released in 2025. The larger 20-inch foldable display that Apple could have in the works would not be eligible for release before 2026. The size of the foldable equipped with an E Ink display is not mentioned in the latest prediction.

Although Apple would be late to the foldable market, it has an ace up its sleeve in the form of iPadOS, its tablet operating system that boasts robust app support from third-party developers. In contrast, existing foldables from the likes of Honor, Oppo, and others have to rely on Android, which has inconsistent support for large-screen devices.

Apple's foldable device is still years away. An interesting prospect of where Apple might be heading is offered by the latest update from Kuo.