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Next Up for the Foldable Form Factor – Electronic Books
In 2021, over 6b people have smartphones, which is 81% of the world population, accounting for people with multiple phones. They are a basic need for every age group to work, live and play. From its start with the iPhone in 2007, the form factor has remained the same, but in 2019 the foldable smartphone first appeared from Royole, Samsung, Motorola, and Huawei. Although less than 5m foldables have been bought, some are hailing the foldable as a generational shift. While it’s a little early to make such a call, foldables have been used in notebooks, and TV rollables have hit the market.
In 2021, over 6b people have smartphones, which is 81% of the world population, accounting for people with multiple phones. They are a basic need for every age group to work, live and play. From its start with the iPhone in 2007, the form factor has remained the same, but in 2019 the foldable smartphone first appeared from Royole, Samsung, Motorola, and Huawei. Although less than 5m foldables have been bought, some are hailing the foldable as a generational shift. While it’s a little early to make such a call, foldables have been used in notebooks, and TV rollables have hit the market.
So it is not surprising that Amazon is considering a foldable Kindle, which is only in the conceptual stage. Some of the reasons why a foldable Kindle is being contemplated, include:
Unlike LCDs, electronic ink lends itself to the foldable format. Kindles already use a flexible substrate, so making the foldable could trade on the hinging technology already developed for OLEDs. A creative product designer would have a ball developing the concept renderings.
- Would enhance the experience of reading a physical book. Kindles are great to read, but as impressively paper-like their displays can sometimes visually appear, they lack the flexible nature of paper, since the experience ultimately feels different from a book, where it folds open, and the pages bent back. A foldable Kindle would come much closer to replicating this sentiment.
- The size can be adjusted to fit both books and comics. A folding Kindle would fit better in the comics. The compact size of the Amazon Kindles makes them ideal for reading books, but they don’t fit as naturally in newspapers, magazines, or comics, which tend to print on larger paper. A foldable Kindle could have a screen, closer to the size of a magazine and still function as a book.
- It would give Kindles a new selling point. Kindles have had the same form factor since their release. The screen is improving with a backlight, faster switching and may even have color in the future. But the form factor remains. A foldable Kindle would be different and that could make Kindles exciting again, and push those who have clung to their Kindle for years to upgrade.
- eBooks have had an enormous impact in the publishing industry, but the market share has remained at 50% for several years. The new form factor could convert readers who have steadfastly stayed with the paper format because they like the folding format to switch to eBooks.
Unlike LCDs, electronic ink lends itself to the foldable format. Kindles already use a flexible substrate, so making the foldable could trade on the hinging technology already developed for OLEDs. A creative product designer would have a ball developing the concept renderings.
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