Readmoo made a foldable Kindle, and I'm here for it
The Chinese company has introduced the world's first folding e-reader, which almost makes too much sense
📖 The world’s first foldable e-reader now exists thanks to a company called Readmoo
🗺️ The mooInk V features a flexible E Ink color display that can survive 200,000 bends
📐 It’s made from an aluminum-magnesium alloy and can be unfolded nearly flat or at a 90-degree angle
📦 I need Amazon to start working on a foldable Kindle as soon as possible
Hey Amazon, you better take notes here: the world’s first foldable e-reader is here, and it’s not a Kindle.
It’s from a company called Readmoo. Based in China, the company has developed the world’s first e-reader you can fold in half. It’s called the mooInk V, and by the looks of it, it’s the most compact e-reader I’ve ever seen.
The mooInk V features an 8-inch foldable E Ink display that uses E Ink’s Gallery 3 display technology, which features colored ink capsules that allow for much more than your average black-and-white e-reader experience. It’s reminiscent of the Kindle Scribe, although it uses a different screen technology to produce over 50,000 shades of color at a sharp 300 ppi resolution. It’s the same tech used in the ReMarkable Paper Pro, so it’s pretty high-end.
What’s most impressive is the fact that it folds in half. E Ink screens are a lot thicker than the OLED screens on folding phones, and according to the company, it took nine years to get it right. Once it did, Readmoo was able to produce an e-reader that can survive over 200,00 bends.
The mooInk V is made from an aluminum-magnesium alloy with a silver paint job. It weighs about 225 grams and can be opened nearly flat or at a 90-degree angle for reading books. The overall dimensions are slightly smaller than your average paperback, which makes this the most compact e-reader I’ve ever seen. It looks like it’s far more convenient to lug around than a Kindle considering the smaller footprint.
Given that a foldable e-reader didn’t exist until Readmoo made one, it’s understandable that Amazon doesn’t have a version of the Kindle that can fold on its horizon any time soon. That being said, I hope the company gets to work and start developing one; not only does it look more compact, it also looks like it could emulate reading a real book far better than a flat E Ink screen could. It’s part of the reason why so many people like reading e-books on foldable phones.
Readmoo hasn’t mentioned when the mooInk V will ship or how much it’ll cost. It’s likely that it’ll remain in China once it starts shipping.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.