Would a color e-ink back cover be cool?

[Krystianpants]

I was thinking about digital photo frames and how they are pretty decent at just leaving a static image in place. Wouldn't it be an interesting idea to have a phone with a wrap around removable back completely made of color e-ink that would take pictures designed for that specific resolution/size? A wallpaper could turn the camera hump into the sun, have the edges look like textured leather and whatever your imagination allows. The case would simply have a connection it makes when you snap it in. This way it could be replaced with something else and let you remove battery and other stuff. It could have other uses like preview selfies while shooting pictures with the rear camera. It could include more complex touch interactions but then the cost would likely go too high. In those cases if you had screen down you could double tap to quickly see notifications, enable swipe gestures and many other things. Not sure this is something consumers would bite though. It would have to launch with some pretty designs.

 

[impromark]

That's the thing with doing a double-sided phone - it's not ergonomic in the least. With current trends towards larger phones than one hand can comfortably use on a regular basis, ti's tough to justify the expense of such an add-on unless there is a serious set of benefits to it. There have been phones with e-ink displays on the flip side for reading, but they haven't taken off either... Your idea of using e-ink for individualization also only really works for those who don't use cases (I always do). The Samsung people are SORTA in the right direction with the Edge series and being able to see ancillary stuff displayed while you're doign something on the main screen, but an edge-to-edge display is pointless IMO when your hand will cover it up anyway. But alas, unless they start playing with the actual shape of the phone and give us a display AND a form factor which is useful, the classic candybar form will likely forever rule.

Mark

 

[Krystianpants]

That's the thing with doing a double-sided phone - it's not ergonomic in the least. With current trends towards larger phones than one hand can comfortably use on a regular basis, ti's tough to justify the expense of such an add-on unless there is a serious set of benefits to it. There have been phones with e-ink displays on the flip side for reading, but they haven't taken off either... Your idea of using e-ink for individualization also only really works for those who don't use cases (I always do). The Samsung people are SORTA in the right direction with the Edge series and being able to see ancillary stuff displayed while you're doign something on the main screen, but an edge-to-edge display is pointless IMO when your hand will cover it up anyway. But alas, unless they start playing with the actual shape of the phone and give us a display AND a form factor which is useful, the classic candybar form will likely forever rule.

Mark

I hear you. They should at least make cases that have that option. There has to be an interface created to allow for it though. It could plug into usb-c and then act as a hub as well. The OS would have APIS to let you do different things. It's not really about it being a selling feature, just an extra one. The more features the more people it attracts. Everyone has different needs. . I don't think e-ink is really that expensive. Being able to style it anyway you want is neat. Seems all phones look the same these days.

I'm not a fan of how the edge actually warps the contents of the OS. It's not really about your hand covering it. Software can also be used for detecting accidental touch. Heck the iphone 8 is rumored to be all screen. It's part of why the removal of the physical button happened on the iphone 7. I would love to have nothing but screen with the ability to create software bezel with different options where touch isn't registered.

You're right though. With flexible oled phones may stop taking some exact candy bar shape we have always been used to. It could be a pen and you use it to talk or do simple tasks then you slide out a rolled up screen if you need it. Samsung already showcased a tablet like this in a video i saw.

 

[impromark]

I suppose. At work and home, I have two 4.3 monitors, and have two apps going at a time to divide my time; but I know a lot of people have a single larger one these days, and resize their apps and media windows to suit their needs. IF that's the way of the future, an all-screen mobile device should be able to resize itself to user preference and take up a suitable amount of screen real estate accordingly. I'd like to see more concept of that at work though; like this perhaps?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNhCZMxla00

Mark

 

[glossywhite]

"Cool", or... useful, and for what? "Cool" is irrelevant (and overused) - if it has no use, then no.

 

[LyricalNonsense]

The Android running yotaphone already Incorporates a always on e-ink display on the back of the phone that can smoothly show not only notifications and widgets, but can also run Android. A Windows phone variant would be a good concept. The battery saving potential and just the awe factor of it would put it on many lists.

- M

 

[Krystianpants]

The Android running yotaphone already Incorporates a always on e-ink display on the back of the phone that can smoothly show not only notifications and widgets, but can also run Android. A Windows phone variant would be a good concept. The battery saving potential and just the awe factor of it would put it on many lists.

- M

The phones are not the best specs and not designed that well but that actually looks pretty cool, too bad it's not colour e-ink. It would also be better if the entire back was made from it so you can change the design of your phone with a picture. It's like glance screen on the back. I guess having it off most of the time but only turn on when you flip the phone down would be useful. E-ink maintains state so no need to refresh constantly like Glance screen. Glance screen may not display much but the pixels are constantly being refreshed. With E-ink you can just update it every time some notification comes in or anything of that manner. And once it's there it's in that state till the next update.


And it's really about making software do things with it that pulls people in. Something unique. The samsung edge was pretty much just "cool" until samsung started adding some software functionality to make use of it.