Oliver Haslam on May 17, 2022, 7:53 pm

A Future Apple Foldable Could Use Electronic Paper Display Technology

A future Apple foldable device could make use of Electronic Paper Display (EPD) technology from a company called E Ink, according to a new report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The report, via Twitter, notes that the technology could be used for a cover screen and tablet, although it’s unknown exactly what form that could take.

The use of EPD would allow for lower power consumption, something that would be of huge benefit to any portable device.

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.

Apple had previously been rumored to have plans to launch some sort of 9-inch foldable device around 2025, although that is all subject to change. That would presumably be a device that would offer both iPhone and iPad-like functionality, folding between the two.

Based on Kuo’s tweet it seems likely that Apple would put the EPD technology on the outside of the foldable and then use a more capable display on the inside. That EPD screen would display notifications and Apple Watch-like complications, perhaps.

Apple is late to the foldable market but will surely enter it eventually. What product will be its first foldable, and what form it will take, remains to be seen.