14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s Research division is reportedly working on a new accessory for Lumia phones that could allow a flip cover to play the role of a secondary display and let you access certain features faster.
The idea to offer a secondary display for notifications and a few actions is not new, as manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC have already come up with similar solutions, with the latter’s Dot View cover becoming one of the most applauded designs in the smartphone market.
But what Microsoft plans to do, however, is kind of different. Redmond’s new flip cover would integrate a secondary display with touchscreen capabilities.
This approach reminds of the Russian YotaPhone, which has an e-ink display on the back for notifications, but Microsoft wants to take this screen, integrate it into a flip cover, and also add touch support for certain actions.
Glance screen 2.0
Lumia phone owners could thus get notifications on this secondary display, so it would act just as Glance screen does right now. A number of activities could also be offered, with WMPU explaining that Microsoft might even add keyboard support for quick replies to messages and emails.
An e-ink display has several key advantages over a colored one, as it offers better life while keeping certain features of the device, such as notifications, always on. Furthermore, e-ink displays are also being used on e-book readers, so depending on how far Microsoft wants to go with its flip cover, such capabilities could be offered as well.
Certainly, this does sound like a pretty good idea, but for the moment, the Microsoft Research team is working with the Lumia group to find a way to bring such a project to the market.
Right now, this project is still being worked on behind closed doors, and don’t expect Microsoft to say anything about it until later this year, when prototypes are ready.