The Supply Chain issues have increased the dumb rumors

This one is the latest via the Verge.

So a couple of things

Of course Apple is testing out these displays. As a company as big as they are, they can both afford to and should be looking at new tech both for their existing lines as well as for new products.

But while e-ink has made some significant strides in the last couple of versions it’s still a very long way from being up to the task of what users have come to expect , even in low end phones, let alone an iPhone.

Eink displays in terms of things like color gamut and response time are comparable to a decent LCD from 1996.

The big virtues and they are significant are the low power consumption and visibility in direct sunlight. Which make them ideal right now for something like an e-reader, or even in one of our custom devices. But they are still a very long way from being ready for general/multipurpose devices.

So the TLDR, because of the ongoing supply chain issues, the number of new product announcements possibly as low as it’s been since the late 90s’ when RAM prices spiked, has left all these tech writers in need of something to fill their 1000 words a week goals :frowning:

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

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I’ve waited for an e-ink device that can utilize OneNote for a long while, now I’d setttle for one that could work with Samsung Notes.

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I think that’s coming, if you are ok with it not being a general purpose device and being from a smaller OEM. Such as right now some of the boox devices or even possibly the Kobo Elipsa (though that requires both rooting it and installing an unsupported OS)

We’ve actually tested this device for a customer, and for what it is, it’s very good. Of course pen support would be limited to a passive stylus.

OTOH By late this year, or early 2023, we should start to hear about some new hybrid displays (sort of a cross between e-ink and conventional LCD). I do expect the first ones to be quite pricey though.

5G 4G LTE Hisense A7 E Ink Screen Smartphone Android Mobile Reader Phone 128GB | eBay

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As a short time Fold 3 user, I could see an e-Ink outer screen would be useful in saving power while answering calls/triaging messages, with that big power hungry inner screen for the really fun stuff.

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I could see something like that and might even buy it. but somehow at least right now, are there enough people like me to make it real.?

Lenovo started down that path with one of their Yogabooks, but that device while having some great ideas, turned out to be really frustrating in real world use.

As a short time Fold 3 user, I could see an e-Ink outer screen would be useful in saving power while answering calls/triaging messages, with that big power hungry inner screen for the really fun stuff.

That could also be a unique addition to a Surface Duo 3.

With the zFold3 since those have gotten somewhat common to see, from quite a few people I know with them, they don’t typically open the device all too often. Like most of their usage is just using the front screen since for most general needs, its sufficient. In similarly, as an owner of the Duo 1 & 2, if the Duo line had a front screen, likely I would see myself not opening the Duo nearly as much.

But if the front was an e-Ink, that would be enough of a difference that it could retain the clear cut usability of a front screen, but also incentive to open it up and use the inner screens for the superior high res/high color/high brightness screens.

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