The first folding e-reader is smaller than a paperback

The Readmoo mooInk V uses a Gallery 3 E Ink show sheet producing much colors than the Kindle Colorsoft. | Image: Readmoo

Smartphones with folding OLED screens person been astir for implicit six years, but China’s Readmoo is the archetypal institution to announce a consumer-ready e-reader with a folding E Ink display. Details connected erstwhile its mooInk V volition ship, oregon however overmuch it volition cost, haven’t been announced. Yet the institution says it has spent 9 years moving with E Ink to make an physics insubstantial surface they assertion tin past implicit 200,000 bends.

When opened, the mooInk V has an 8-inch touchscreen based connected E Ink’s Gallery 3 show technology. Unlike the Kaleido 3 surface successful the Kindle Colorsoft, which relies connected a colour filter implicit a black-and-white E Ink sheet that limits colour reproduction to conscionable 4,096 shades, Gallery 3 uses colored ink capsules that tin nutrient implicit 50,000 shades astatine a solution of 300ppi. Only a tiny fig of devices presently usage the Gallery 3 technology, similar past year’s Remarkable Paper Pro.

Although E Ink has demonstrated prototypes of folding e-readers successful the past, its show exertion is overmuch thicker than OLED panels, making it much hard to plan a reliable hinge and a surface that tin past the rigors of regular use. That’s the main crushed it’s taken Readmoo truthful agelong to make and refine the folding sheet utilized successful its mooInk V e-reader.

With a assemblage made from lightweight but beardown aluminum-magnesium alloy finished with a metallic metallic paint, Readmoo says the mooInk V weights astir 225 grams, which is conscionable a fewer grams heavier than the Kindle Colorsoft. Specific dimensions haven’t been revealed, but erstwhile folded its dimensions are smaller than a paperback, perchance making it easier to gaffe into a pouch than a Kindle. The e-reader tin besides beryllium opened level for reading, oregon utilized astatine a 90-degree angle, akin to speechmaking a people book, but it remains to beryllium seen however comfy the ergonomics of holding it that mode volition be.

It doesn’t look similar the 2 sides of the mooInk V prevarication perfectly level against each erstwhile the instrumentality is folded similar phones specified arsenic the SamsungGalaxy Z Fold 6 present do. There’s a noticeable spread adjacent the hinge to trim accent and harm wherever the E Ink sheet really folds. But it volition besides beryllium the archetypal folding e-reader to beryllium disposable for consumers.