Reports suggest Apple is finally working on bringing a foldable iPhone to the market. However, in a unique twist, the device will reportedly use E-Ink displays. Analyst and tech industry watcher Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple is working on Electronic Paper Display (EPD) technology for iPad tablets. However, the company is also considering using the technology on a foldable smartphone. Kuo says EPD “has the potential to become a mainstream solution for foldable devices,” claiming the screen reserves energy better than an LCD or OLED display. While this would clearly mean better power capabilities, there is a reason manufacturers do not use E-Ink.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 17, 2022
Development
Among the drawbacks are less responsive screens, fewer colors, and no touch interaction. This means Apple is likely only going to use the E-Ink screen as the outside of display of its folding iPhone. In other words, the inner displays will remain OLED/LCD. We will have to wait a long time to find out. Kuo says Apple might not release a foldable iPhone until 2025. By then the company will be playing catchup to the other OEMs. Too far behind the pack? Maybe, but Apple has proven adept at entering mature hardware spaces and dominating them. Let’s see what happens with foldables. Tip of the day: Windows Update downloads can often be frustrating because they are several gigabytes in size and can slow down your internet connection. That means your device may work with reduced performance while the update is downloading. In our guide we show you how to limit bandwidth for Windows Update downloads, so they won’t bother you again.