Apple is reportedly testing an E Ink foldable

Alongside its development on the next generation of iPhones, Apple is reportedly working on foldable devices that use E Ink displays. 

According to analyst and industry soothsayer Ming-Chi Kuo Apple is currently testing E Ink’s Electronic Paper Display (EPD) for use in its iPad tablets as well as its upcoming foldable device that is still very much shrouded in mystery. 

In their brief report on Twitter, Kuo claimed that E Ink’s color EPD “has the potential to become a mainstream solution for foldable devices,” as the display is far more energy-efficient than a traditional OLED or LCD display. 

While this power-saving means that Apple’s foldable device could feature a far larger always-on display on the outside of the device, E Ink’s Electronic Paper Display is not without its drawbacks, as the screen would be far less responsive and feature fewer colors, which would make it only really useful for checking notifications. 

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) May 17, 2022

With Apple reportedly only testing E Ink display at the moment, there’s no word on whether its much-rumored foldable will feature the technology in any capacity. There’s also no telling when exactly Apple’s foldable will release, as over the past years we’ve seen proposed release dates being pushed further and further back in time. 

Most recently, Kuo predicted that Apple’s first foldable might not even be out until 2025 “at the earliest,” a year later than previous predictions. Kuo also claimed that the company’s first foldable would be a tablet-focused device more similar to the iPad than the iPhone.

I expected Apple to launch a foldable iPhone as soon as 2024 in my reports last year, but now it's clear this prediction needs to be revised. I predict Apple may launch its first foldable product in 2025 at the earliest, which may be a foldable iPad or a hybrid of iPad & iPhone. https://t.co/HGIDPFvdar

— ??? (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) April 1, 2022