E Ink, the company best known for the paper-like screens in e-readers, is now turning its attention to laptop touchpads. You’re accustomed to a touchpad serving as a basic navigation tool, but this innovation could transform it into a powerful display dedicated to AI features.
With this new touchpad, you’re no longer limited to clicking and scrolling. Instead, imagine having AI-generated summaries appear right under your fingers as you type, or being able to chat with an AI assistant without needing to switch windows. This is exactly the future E Ink wants to bring to your laptop.
A new way to interact with AI
Unlike traditional LCD or OLED displays, E Ink’s unique screen technology consumes power only when the display changes. That means you can enjoy a touchpad that’s always showing something helpful, without draining your battery. With AI tools often putting extra pressure on your laptop’s power, this could be a big relief.
E Ink isn’t trying to replace your main screen. Instead, it’s offering you a second space—a smarter touchpad—that works independently. In a concept image released by the company, the touchpad features a colour E Ink display, like what you see on Amazon’s newer Kindle models. This new surface can be used to display summaries, show conversation threads with an AI assistant, or offer updates without cluttering your screen.
While other companies, such as Asus, have added small touchscreens to their laptop touchpads before, those are usually too small and bright to be helpful for serious use. They also drain the battery quickly. E Ink’s approach is smarter. By using a colour E Ink screen, it provides valuable information with low energy usage, and without causing unnecessary distractions.
Taking inspiration from the Touch Bar—but better
If you ever tried Apple’s now-discontinued Touch Bar, you’ll remember how it offered custom shortcuts and controls above your keyboard. E Ink’s new concept does something similar, but more power-efficient and placed in a more useful spot. Now, you could have quick access to things like media controls, weather updates, notifications, or shortcuts right at your fingertips.
Better still, you don’t lose any space on the keyboard. The touchpad remains in its original position, but becomes significantly more helpful.
Although the concept is still in early stages, it shows huge potential. You’d be able to manage your AI tools and digital assistants in an entirely new way, with an interface that’s both helpful and gentle on your battery.
Still a mystery when it comes to specs and release
At this point, many questions remain unanswered. E Ink hasn’t yet revealed the full technical details. It’s unclear whether the touchpad will utilise an existing E Ink panel or a specially designed one for this purpose. We also don’t know if the display will work through the laptop’s operating system or whether it will run its own software.
One thing E Ink did confirm is that the new touchpad will work with Intel-based AI laptops. However, there’s no mention yet of which laptop brands might adopt this technology, or when it will be available for purchase.
Still, with laptops becoming more AI-focused every year, this is a smart move. You can expect to see more laptops turning ordinary parts—like the touchpad—into interactive tools designed to help you work faster and smarter.
