MicroLED is one of the most promising display technologies today. It promises the benefits of OLED with deep blacks and high contrast, but with better power efficiency, higher brightness and most importantly, its pixels will not degrade over time. It’s still rare to see microLED outside of some smart Samsung and LG TVs, but a new report from Bloomberg suggests that Apple is looking to design its own custom microLED displays for use in its Apple Watch first and later on its iPhone and other products.
Apple will not manufacture these screens and will still rely on e.g. Samsung and LG for the actual panels, but the design will be tailored to Apple’s exact specifications. The move would be similar to what Apple did with its mobile and desktop chipsets, where it relies on TSMC to manufacture the chips, but the design process is done in-house by Apple. Recent rumors expect Apple to make the leap to microLED in 2024 on its Apple Watch Ultra, though the new Bloomberg report suggests the move could be pushed to 2025.
