Apple To Offer Hybrid e-ink-LCD displays

Are you a fan of Apple gadgets such as iPhone and iPad but wish they had e-ink displays to offer a better e-reading experience? Apparently, Apple is already planning to bring a hybrid display to future iPads that will offer both color and black/white modes.  Apple’s recently discovered patent, “Systems and Methods for Switching Between an Electronic Paper Display and a Video Display,” shows hardware that can switch between the two types of screen.

Steve Jobs has downplayed the success of dedicated e-book readers in the past. But there is no question Apple wants to be a bigger player in the e-book industry. A hybrid screen would give Apple a major advantage over the current crop of one dimensional e-readers on the market.

How will Apple accomplish this? Perhaps by adding a translucent e-ink display on the top of iPad’s LCD display. Of course, this is just an idea at this point. It is not clear when these features will be implemented. If Apple pulls it off, it could cause problems for many e-reader makers today.