Forget Gorilla Glass – E Ink displays could replace the backs of future phones
As much as it’s about smartphones, connectivity and networks, MWC 2024 is also a bounty of weird and wonderful tech, especially from smaller brands, and one such example is the Infinix E-Color Shift phone.
Just a concept/prototype for now, but with real potential to become a real thing, the E-Color Shift phone makes use of E Ink Prism 3 tech to change the color and pattern of a phone’s back, either perpetually or at a user’s request.
Basically, it’s the answer to the question: “How can I constantly customize the back of my phone?” Now that’s not a question I’m sure a lot of people are asking, but it must be something that’s on Infinix’s mind.
And it’s actually pretty cool in real life. Seeing the phone’s back cycle through a series of colors and patterns when it’s on charge is oddly hypnotic, and acts to make the phone more of an ornament rather than just a slab of metal and glass. And when it’s disconnected from a power source it’ll settle on the pattern and colors that were last displayed – take a look at the TikTok below to see it in action.
@techradar
♬ Aglow (Intro) – Slowed Down Version – Karamel Kel
Yet there’s more to the E-Color Shift phone’s capabilities than just some flashy patterns. Things like notifications and a clock can be displayed, turning the back of the phone into a form of basic always-on screen. But as E Ink is being used, this is likely to be more power-efficient than even the latest LTPO panels found in the screens of some of the best phones, notably, the iPhone 15 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Now I don’t think having an E Ink rear panel is going to be a fixture on future phones, especially as I reckon 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 is at least trying to inject some creativity into a mobile tech segment that feels like it’s starting to plateau in terms of innovation and intriguing design.
More from MWC 2024
As much as it’s about smartphones, connectivity and networks, MWC 2024 is also a bounty of weird and wonderful tech, especially from smaller brands, and one such example is the Infinix E-Color Shift phone. Just a concept/prototype for now, but with real potential to become a real thing, the E-Color…
