Apple testing color Electronic Paper Display foldable screens, says Kuo

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited May 2022
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple is testing with an Electronic Paper Display (EPD) from a company named E Ink, which could be for a cover, or part of a folding screen.

Future iPads could have folding screens
Future iPads could have folding screens


E-ink is best known as the technology used by Amazon Kindle, and Apple has previously been researching the use of it for many years. However, it's also the name of a company using unrelated technology.

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.

-- (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo)


Kuo belatedly followed this tweet with a second one clarifying that E Ink, as opposed to e-Ink, is the name of a company. There's no information that it has previously worked with Apple, but it does produce color screens called "ePaper," which has been used in BMW cars.

The claim that this EPD could be used as a cover because of its power-saving, suggest that the iPad might gain an always-on case. That could conceivably show basic status information such as the time and notifications, but Kuo expects unspecified "tablet-like applications."

A cover or second screen doesn't automatically have to be folding itself, it could mean that two halves of a folded screen might be separate displays. Apple has previously researched using multiple e-Ink displays.

Kuo revived his long-dormant Twitter account in March, 2022. Since then, he has been tweeting reports and predictions and seemingly rather than issuing his previous investor notes.

Those notes were always clearer about Kuo's sources, inasmuch as they said whether it was based on supply chain information. His tweets are sometimes less clear, and many appear to be supposition based on his previous experience with Apple.

In this case, however, despite him not citing any sources, it appears he means it as a factual account of what is happening at Apple right now, rather than extrapolating what could be soon.

Ming-Chi Kuo has recently predicted that Apple will release an iPhone Fold in 2023.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    tjwolftjwolf Posts: 424member
    Terrible title - Kuo didn't claim that Apple is experimenting with an actually foldable e-ink display.  He said that one might be used as part of a foldable *phone*.
  • Reply 2 of 5
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Whatever Apple may do with this, assuming they do, I hope it’s vastly better than the color e-ink screens out there now, all of which are really terrible.
  • Reply 3 of 5
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    I’ve had that idea forever. 
  • Reply 4 of 5
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,462member
    e-ink Yes please!
  • Reply 5 of 5
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
    Would be nice if they can compete with The reMarkable. 


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