14 DAY TRIAL // We all know by now that Windows phones no longer have a future, and with Microsoft itself recommending users to switch to Android or iOS, you don’t normally expect the company to discuss about its mobile platform too often.
And yet, it recently happened at the UbiComp 2018 event, with Microsoft showcasing a Lumia 640 with an e-ink Display Cover.
Basically, Microsoft presented the prototype to demonstrate how the cover can double as a secondary display for a variety of purposes, including tasks that can be performed without unlocking the device.
For example, Microsoft says that the cover allows to take notes or screenshots straight without unlocking the phone, and the content will then be saved to the phone automatically.
Using Bluetooth connectivity
The e-ink display is powered by the phone’s battery but has a very small impact on battery life. It receives data via Bluetooth.
“For expediency we didn’t integrate a touch overlay; instead we incorporated five touch ‘buttons’ at the bottom of the display. The touch buttons and display connect to interface circuitry added to the rear of the phone – a Lumia 640 – via flat-flex cables which run through the flip cover ‘hinge’ along with a bend sensor,” Microsoft explains.
The cover uses Alcantara, the same material that Microsoft installed on its latest-generation Surface models.
“The software experience for our concept allows the user to press-and-hold any touch button to initiate a primary screen capture which is then associated with or ‘pinned’ to that button and rendered on the e-ink display. A short press of any touch button re-renders that button’s previously pinned screen capture,” the company continues.
Without a doubt, the concept would have sounded great if Microsoft still had a mobile platform to invest in, but with Windows 10 Mobile going dark, there’s basically no chance to ever see this idea going live on anything else than Andromeda.