The world's first foldable e-reader is here: Readmoo's mooInk V

In brief: With the advancements in display and e-ink technology, e-readers can replicate the feeling of reading a real book more than ever before. Now, a company has taken inspiration from smartphones to add another element only seen on their paper-based counterparts – creating the world's first foldable e-reader.

At first glance, the mooInk V from Taiwan-based company Readmoo looks like one of the early prototypes of a folding phone. But it's actually an e-reader that can bend, much like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series and similar devices.

Opened up, the mooInk V has an 8-inch touchscreen based on E Ink's Gallery 3 display technology, which uses three colored ink capsules that can produce over 50,000 shades at a resolution of 300ppi, writes The Verge.

The e-reader weighs 225 grams, featuring a body made from aluminum-magnesium alloy finished with a silver metallic paint. The company says it's small enough to fit inside a jeans pocket when folded. Readmoo hasn't revealed the official dimensions but it sounds slightly smaller than the average paperback.

The mooInk V can be opened flat – or almost flat – for reading or at a 90-degree angle, replicating the feeling of reading a printed book.

As is the case with foldable handsets, there will likely be concerns regarding the durability of a foldable e-reader like this one. Readmoo says that it has been developing the mooInk V for nine years to develop an electronic paper screen that can endure over 200,000 bends.

One of the problems with developing a bending e-reader is that the display technology they use is about four times thicker than OLED panels found in foldable phones, hence the near decade-long development time of the mooInk V.

Readmoo never said when it expects its device to ship or how much it will cost. Considering the typically high prices of other foldables and the mooInk V's impressive specs, expect it to carry a premium price tag.

It'll be interesting to see if other e-reader makers start offering foldable devices. Amazon introduced its first color e-reader, the $279 Kindle Colorsoft, in October 2024, but there have been a lot of complaints from buyers over screen discoloration issues.