'Apple Watch Series 5' screen expected to be supplied by Japan Display

AppleInsider

Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting that the "Apple Watch Series 5" is just around the corner, and will use some of the first OLED screens from Japan Display.

Little has been said about the "Apple Watch Series 5" so far. Ming-Chi Kuo has said that around 20 percent of the screens for the new unit will come from Japan Display, fresh off of its recovery from reinvestment. It was first rumored in April that Japan Display would get these orders.

It isn't clear if Kuo's report to Chinese media is a reiteration of the April rumor, or sourced from new information exiting the supply chain. Kuo also believes that the percentage will increase over time, escalating to very nearly the entire supply in two years.

Kuo has previously predicted that there would be a ceramic Apple Watch in 2019. Ceramic wasn't available for the Apple Watch Series 4. This may have been because of poor sales, production issues, or simply because Apple no longer felt it was necessary.

Japan Display combined the display arms of Hitachi, Sony and Toshiba to better compete with Samsung and LG Display. Heavy investment in LCD production and a late shift to OLED damaged the company's prospects, leading to the bailout discussions.

Japan Display had been suffering for a few years because of declining LCD panel orders. After a year of discussions, the company raised sufficient funds to launch an 80 billion yen (about $738 million) bailout. About $100 million of that bailout is thought to come from Apple.

Even without OLED orders, Apple is JDI's most important customer. Orders for iPhone LCD panel orders account for about 60% of JDI's revenue for the 2018 fiscal year.

JinTech

It’s amazing how little we know about the Apple Watch Series 5. I’m happy to upgrade from a Series 4 if there are some new health sensors but otherwise I’m pretty happy with my 4. 

gutengel

Where are the Apple Watch rumours!? So far it appears we aren't getting any new watch this year...

svanstrom

JinTech said:

It’s amazing how little we know about the Apple Watch Series 5. I’m happy to upgrade from a Series 4 if there are some new health sensors but otherwise I’m pretty happy with my 4. 

I'm starting to feel unhappy with my stainless steel series 0; but by the time the ECG feature actually got released here, and my preferred store didn't have it in stock etc… by all that I felt that I might as well wait for the series 5.

But the lack of rumours is starting to make me feel like I'm waiting for something that won't come at the same time as the new iPhones. 

svanstrom

Here's a thought…

What if Apple is moving to sort of an S-style approach to their watches? Last year we got the new tech, and this year they'll only add a ceramic version?

Soli

svanstrom said:

Here's a thought…

What if Apple is moving to sort of an S-style approach to their watches? Last year we got the new tech, and this year they'll only add a ceramic version?

I wouldn't say it's out of the question, but I do wonder how that would help increase sales. The 'S' series always seemed more like a way to keep the same casing design for 2 years instead of just one. Internally those devices are very different. Even the internal screw locations for a similar component can change dramatically YoY.

macgui

I doubt there'd ever be a new model (3, 4, 5 etc) that didn't have some bump in speed, storage, or feature(s). Apple would probably wait then offer just a different case.

My Stainless AW still gets use but only on occasion, as it's slow and limited in utility compare to my newest Watch, an S2.

So depending on what a 5 brings, it or a 4 will definitely be my next Watch immediately after the reveal.

freshmaker

Was about to upgrade my trusty S0 to an S4, but at this point I’m going to hold out an extra month and see if there’s an S5 around the corner.  Can’t wait for the annual event!

AppleExposed

gutengel said:

Where are the Apple Watch rumours!? So far it appears we aren't getting any new watch this year...

No rumors is good!!

People complain when there's no surprises because they've read all the rumors.

svanstrom said:

Here's a thought…

What if Apple is moving to sort of an S-style approach to their watches? Last year we got the new tech, and this year they'll only add a ceramic version?

Apple has never only added a color and called it an "S" upgrade.

fastasleep

svanstrom said:

Here's a thought…

What if Apple is moving to sort of an S-style approach to their watches? Last year we got the new tech, and this year they'll only add a ceramic version?

Not once has an ‘s’ iPhone introduced no new tech. 

svanstrom

Soli said:

svanstrom said:

Here's a thought…

What if Apple is moving to sort of an S-style approach to their watches? Last year we got the new tech, and this year they'll only add a ceramic version?

I wouldn't say it's out of the question, but I do wonder how that would help increase sales. The 'S' series always seemed more like a way to keep the same casing design for 2 years instead of just one. Internally those devices are very different. Even the internal screw locations for a similar component can change dramatically YoY.

If they feel that they can’t keep on deliver something big enough, like a blood sugar detector etc, every single year it would make sense to split the years. Giving the techies two years to produce something new enough on their side, and two years for the design and PR-people to do their thing.

Unless they’ve got new tech in the pipelines this would make sense to keep the sales up.

That we haven’t heard any rumors this close to the September event sort of indicates something; the question is what?

Do we really think that they suddenly can keep anything substantial completely secret?

Soli

svanstrom said:

Soli said:

svanstrom said:

Here's a thought…

What if Apple is moving to sort of an S-style approach to their watches? Last year we got the new tech, and this year they'll only add a ceramic version?

I wouldn't say it's out of the question, but I do wonder how that would help increase sales. The 'S' series always seemed more like a way to keep the same casing design for 2 years instead of just one. Internally those devices are very different. Even the internal screw locations for a similar component can change dramatically YoY.

If they feel that they can’t keep on deliver something big enough, like a blood sugar detector etc, every single year it would make sense to split the years. Giving the techies two years to produce something new enough on their side, and two years for the design and PR-people to do their thing.

Unless they’ve got new tech in the pipelines this would make sense to keep the sales up.

That we haven’t heard any rumors this close to the September event sort of indicates something; the question is what?

Do we really think that they suddenly can keep anything substantial completely secret?

That's not what the 'S' means. If they have nothing they don't announce a product. They've never just packaged the same product with a new label.

svanstrom

Soli said:

svanstrom said:

Soli said:

svanstrom said:

Here's a thought…

What if Apple is moving to sort of an S-style approach to their watches? Last year we got the new tech, and this year they'll only add a ceramic version?

I wouldn't say it's out of the question, but I do wonder how that would help increase sales. The 'S' series always seemed more like a way to keep the same casing design for 2 years instead of just one. Internally those devices are very different. Even the internal screw locations for a similar component can change dramatically YoY.

If they feel that they can’t keep on deliver something big enough, like a blood sugar detector etc, every single year it would make sense to split the years. Giving the techies two years to produce something new enough on their side, and two years for the design and PR-people to do their thing.

Unless they’ve got new tech in the pipelines this would make sense to keep the sales up.

That we haven’t heard any rumors this close to the September event sort of indicates something; the question is what?

Do we really think that they suddenly can keep anything substantial completely secret?

That's not what the 'S' means. If they have nothing they don't announce a product. They've never just packaged the same product with a new label.

First time it stood for speed, the second time for Siri… The S meant whatever they felt like, and that’s why I wrote an S-style approach, as in doing that “every other year”-thing.

Doing a ceramic version would be a new product, with even slightly better reception and slightly lower power consumption; but would primarily be a cosmetic update. 

AppleExposed

svanstrom said:

Soli said:

svanstrom said:

Here's a thought…

What if Apple is moving to sort of an S-style approach to their watches? Last year we got the new tech, and this year they'll only add a ceramic version?

I wouldn't say it's out of the question, but I do wonder how that would help increase sales. The 'S' series always seemed more like a way to keep the same casing design for 2 years instead of just one. Internally those devices are very different. Even the internal screw locations for a similar component can change dramatically YoY.

If they feel that they can’t keep on deliver something big enough, like a blood sugar detector etc, every single year it would make sense to split the years. Giving the techies two years to produce something new enough on their side, and two years for the design and PR-people to do their thing.

Unless they’ve got new tech in the pipelines this would make sense to keep the sales up.

That we haven’t heard any rumors this close to the September event sort of indicates something; the question is what?

Do we really think that they suddenly can keep anything substantial completely secret?

They always have new tech in the pipeline. IDK why people think Apple has nothing in the works.

svanstrom said:

Soli said:

svanstrom said:

Soli said:

svanstrom said:

Here's a thought…

What if Apple is moving to sort of an S-style approach to their watches? Last year we got the new tech, and this year they'll only add a ceramic version?

I wouldn't say it's out of the question, but I do wonder how that would help increase sales. The 'S' series always seemed more like a way to keep the same casing design for 2 years instead of just one. Internally those devices are very different. Even the internal screw locations for a similar component can change dramatically YoY.

If they feel that they can’t keep on deliver something big enough, like a blood sugar detector etc, every single year it would make sense to split the years. Giving the techies two years to produce something new enough on their side, and two years for the design and PR-people to do their thing.

Unless they’ve got new tech in the pipelines this would make sense to keep the sales up.

That we haven’t heard any rumors this close to the September event sort of indicates something; the question is what?

Do we really think that they suddenly can keep anything substantial completely secret?

That's not what the 'S' means. If they have nothing they don't announce a product. They've never just packaged the same product with a new label.

First time it stood for speed, the second time for Siri… The S meant whatever they felt like, and that’s why I wrote an S-style approach, as in doing that “every other year”-thing.

Doing a ceramic version would be a new product, with even slightly better reception and slightly lower power consumption; but would primarily be a cosmetic update. 

Those were new products.

mdriftmeyer

It will be the first one I buy. Technology for the new Reference Monitor going into Apple watch displays and phones is what I expect is the reason they invested to keep Japan Display afloat--for microLED.

GeorgeBMac

This is all irrelevant to me:   It doesn't matter how great the Series 5 is, my damned Series One just keeps on ticking and doing a great job!    Sigh...   Life is so hard!

svanstrom

GeorgeBMac said:

This is all irrelevant to me:   It doesn't matter how great the Series 5 is, my damned Series One just keeps on ticking and doing a great job!    Sigh...   Life is so hard!

Sooo… you just busy walking the interwebs with the mission of not leaving a single thread left wondering wether or not the subject is irrelevant to you? 

GeorgeBMac

svanstrom said:

GeorgeBMac said:

This is all irrelevant to me:   It doesn't matter how great the Series 5 is, my damned Series One just keeps on ticking and doing a great job!    Sigh...   Life is so hard!

Sooo… you just busy walking the interwebs with the mission of not leaving a single thread left wondering wether or not the subject is irrelevant to you? 

LOL.... So you wonder the "interwebs" complaining about pieces that go right over your head? 

Rayz2016

GeorgeBMac said:

svanstrom said:

GeorgeBMac said:

This is all irrelevant to me:   It doesn't matter how great the Series 5 is, my damned Series One just keeps on ticking and doing a great job!    Sigh...   Life is so hard!

Sooo… you just busy walking the interwebs with the mission of not leaving a single thread left wondering wether or not the subject is irrelevant to you? 

LOL.... So you wonder the "interwebs" complaining about pieces that go right over your head? 

wander the “inter webs”

GeorgeBMac

Rayz2016 said:

GeorgeBMac said:

svanstrom said:

GeorgeBMac said:

This is all irrelevant to me:   It doesn't matter how great the Series 5 is, my damned Series One just keeps on ticking and doing a great job!    Sigh...   Life is so hard!

Sooo… you just busy walking the interwebs with the mission of not leaving a single thread left wondering wether or not the subject is irrelevant to you? 

LOL.... So you wonder the "interwebs" complaining about pieces that go right over your head? 

wander the “inter webs”

No, I  think he's wondering....