E Ink is reimagining the humble laptop touchpad as a smart, power-efficient display for artificial intelligence tools.
E Ink, the company best known for its e-reader display technology, has announced a new innovation: a laptop touchpad built using its low-power color e-paper screens. Unlike traditional touchpads, this one is designed to function as a dedicated surface for AI applications, offering unique functionality without draining your laptop’s battery.
Instead of simply mirroring the laptop’s main screen, E Ink’s new touchpad acts as an independent interface. It can display AI-generated summaries, enable continuous conversations with chatbots, or offer a streamlined workspace for productivity tools—all without interrupting what’s happening on your primary display.
The concept is similar to previous innovations like Asus’s ScreenPad or Apple’s now-defunct Touch Bar, but with a crucial difference: power efficiency. Because E Ink screens only consume energy when updating, this new touchpad promises to reduce the battery load typically associated with AI software and secondary displays.
A mockup image released by E Ink shows a laptop equipped with a full-color e-paper touchpad that remains readable and functional even during extended usage. This screen could show real-time weather updates, media controls, notifications, or even app shortcuts—all with minimal battery impact.
While detailed specs have not yet been revealed, E Ink confirmed compatibility with upcoming Intel-based AI PCs. It remains unclear whether the touchpad will run through the main operating system or operate independently. No specific launch dates or partner manufacturers were announced.
As laptops increasingly integrate AI into their core functionality, E Ink’s touchpad concept could become a key feature in next-gen devices—offering both smarter interfaces and longer battery life.
