Forget Gorilla Glass: E Ink displays could replace the backs of future phones
As much as it’s about smartphones, connectivity and networking, MWC 2024 is also a plethora of weird and wonderful tech, especially from smaller brands, and a case in point is the Infinix E-Color Shift phone.
Just a concept/prototype for now, but with real potential to become a reality, the E-Color Shift phone uses E Ink Prism 3 technology to change the color and pattern of the back of a phone, either continuously, or at the request of the user.
Basically, it’s the answer to the question, “How can I continuously adjust the back of my phone?” That’s certainly not a question that many people ask, but it must be something that Infinix is thinking about.
And in real life it’s actually pretty cool. Seeing the back of the phone go through an array of colors and patterns as it charges is strangely hypnotic, and makes the phone feel more like a piece of jewelry than just a hunk of metal and glass. And if it is disconnected from a power source, it will freeze on the pattern and colors that were last displayed. Check out the TikTok below to see it in action.
@techradar
♬ Aglow (Intro) – Slowed down version – Caramel Kel
Yet the capabilities of the E-Color Shift phone offer more than just some eye-catching patterns. Things like notifications and a clock can be displayed, turning the back of the phone into a sort of standard always-on screen. But since E Ink is used, this is likely to be more energy efficient than even the latest LTPO panels found on the screens of some of the best phones, most notably the iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Now I don’t think having an E Ink back panel will be a permanent feature of future phones, especially as I think more brands will adopt titanium and glass designs. But it could pave the way for more interesting charging cases, for example, and the E-Color Shift phone at least tries to inject some creativity into a mobile tech segment that feels like it’s starting to stagnate in terms of innovation and intriguing design.