Apple Watch rumored to get MicroLED face in 2025

AppleInsider

A new supply chain leak suggests that Apple will release an Apple Watch with a MicroLED display in the spring of 2025.

Apple Watch could get MicroLED in 2025

The Apple Watch currently uses OLED to achieve its perfect black edge-to-edge look. However, the display technology has its limitations, and Apple could move to something more dynamic in the near future.

According to a tweet shared with his super followers, display supply chain analyst Ross Young says that Apple will implement MicroLED in the Apple Watch with a spring 2025 launch. The display technology is a step up from OLED and would offer a higher pixel density on the small display.

The benefits of MicroLED include increased brightness and sharpness over OLED. While both technologies are capable of extreme local dimming and near-infinite contrast, the MicroLED panel will have much more control over what content is displayed.

Apple Watch users would benefit from sharper text, brighter displays in the sun, and reduced chance for burn-in.

This isn't the first rumor for Apple bringing MicroLED to Apple Watch. Earlier in January, Analyst Jeff Pu stated that the Apple Watch Ultra could get a 2.1-inch MicroLED panel by 2024.

Apple's investments in MicroLED can be traced back to 2014, with rumors suggesting the company could use the technology in Apple Watch first, then eventually iPhone. Repeated rumors have pointed to the 2023 to 2024 timeframe for Apple to debut the technology in products.

While Apple might be interested in using this more advanced display technology, Ross Young's suggested announcement date is odd. Apple tends to announce Apple Watch updates in the fall, but that could shift as 2023 is expected to be a weak year for updates.

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mystigo

"Near infinite" lol. They should have gone the extra 1% and made it infinite right?

Seriously. I can't wait for microLED to go mainstream. The technology is amazing. This will be a small but important step in that direction.

daalseth

A rumour from a supply chain anonymous source of something two or more years away. Credibility zero.
This far out, Apple would not have finalized the specs yet, let alone be talking to their supply chain.
Apple may be experimenting with mLED watch screens, but the rest of the story is just fantasy hung on wishful thinking.

mustseeuhdtv

I will be amazed to see Apple can get MicroLED to fit in a watch. For years, Samsung (and now it seems LG) have been trying to shrink MicroLED for displays. First it was the 146in wall. Then the Wall when to 110in, then 99in and 88. This year Samsung announced a 76in TV.

If Apple can get it down to watch size, it will help the TV and monitor display for sure.....

mystigo

MustSeeUHDTV said:

I will be amazed to see Apple can get MicroLED to fit in a watch. For years, Samsung (and now it seems LG) have been trying to shrink MicroLED for displays. First it was the 146in wall. Then the Wall when to 110in, then 99in and 88. This year Samsung announced a 76in TV.

If Apple can get it down to watch size, it will help the TV and monitor display for sure.....

I am pretty sure those walls are built from arrays of very tiny panels. Watch-sized even. They just made them really big to show off the tech at trade shows.

charlesn

"Apple's investments in MicroLED can be traced back to 2014, with rumors suggesting the company could use the technology in Apple Watch first, then eventually iPhone."

So, as you can see, you should absolutely believe in rumors about Apple's plans for MicroLED! 

baka-dubbs

MicroLED isn't some magic technology.  Its main advantages have always been higher brightness and no(far less) risk of degradation over time.  On the flip side, OLED is a pretty mature technology.  MicroLED offered more accurate colors originally, due to WOLED require a white pixel to boost the brightness, however Samsung's QD OLED no longer requires that, and is offered currently in a TV that has 2k nits of brightness.  So the brightness advantage is minimized, and the fact that QD OLED uses only a blue backlight with quantum dots to transform them into RGB, it supposedly reduces burn in risk(take that with a grain of salt, we will see over time).  

I think Apple will use whatever the best technology they can get at a high volume at a specified price level.  MicroLED continues to improve, but at least with Samsung's version is still power hungry and produces a lot of heat, both of which are not good for a portable device.  And OLED continues to improve each year.

edited January 2023

jdw

Will MicroLED really achieve that much more brightness than the Apple Watch Ultra, which is already amazingly bright outdoors?  If it is, it would certainly have some kind of noticeable impact on the life of that tiny battery, I would think.

The main benefit I can see would be "near infinite LIFE" of the display versus OLED which cannot be left on all the time due to burn-in concerns.

danox

baka-dubbs said:

MicroLED isn't some magic technology.  Its main advantages have always been higher brightness and no(far less) risk of degradation over time.  On the flip side, OLED is a pretty mature technology.  MicroLED offered more accurate colors originally, due to WOLED require a white pixel to boost the brightness, however Samsung's QD OLED no longer requires that, and is offered currently in a TV that has 2k nits of brightness.  So the brightness advantage is minimized, and the fact that QD OLED uses only a blue backlight with quantum dots to transform them into RGB, it supposedly reduces burn in risk(take that with a grain of salt, we will see over time).  

I think Apple will use whatever the best technology they can get at a high volume at a specified price level.  MicroLED continues to improve, but at least with Samsung's version is still power hungry and produces a lot of heat, both of which are not good for a portable device.  And OLED continues to improve each year.

Apple appears to be investing in research and development for the future. Why not? The long-term, if anyone’s going to do it maybe they will, sounds like good usage of that buyback money.