Apple is reportedly working on its own micro-LED displays, according to multiple industry sources. They would aim to replace existing OLED screens. The iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 could benefit from it, but after the Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple plans to launch an iPhone with a microLED display in the future, as revealed in a report from Supply Chain (via DigiTimes). This display technology would give it higher brightness, lower power consumption, improved contrast ratio and other advantages over current iPhones that take advantage of OLED screens.
Will Apple switch its devices to micro-LED technology? Highly possible
The report claims that the Apple Watch Ultra will be Apple’s first device to switch to microLED, followed by the iPhone and then the iPad. Some IT industry sources predict that the Apple Watch Ultra will no longer use the OLED display by the end of 2024 or 2025, as it will be replaced by the Apple-developed microLED display, our colleagues say.
Assuming that the Apple Watch Ultra will not benefit from a microLED screen before 2025, the first iPhone to adopt this technology is probably still far away, at least a priori. All four iPhone 15 models coming later this year are expected to stick with OLED screens, but the iPhone 16 might just be the first to take advantage, with FaceID embedded under the display.
In the meantime, Apple is still completing its transition to OLED screens. The first Apple product with an OLED display was the original Apple Watch, followed by the iPhone X. The first iPad and Mac models with OLED displays are expected to launch next year. The transition to microLED will likely follow a similar trajectory from smaller to larger device.
microLED vs OLED: what are the differences?
OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) and MicroLED have several notable differences. OLED uses organic materials to emit light, while MicroLED is made up of small inorganic light-emitting diodes. A key difference is in the backlight: OLED requires a backlight to produce light, while MicroLED emits its own light pixel by pixel.
In terms of performance, MicroLED is distinguished by greater energy efficiency compared to OLED. It also offers peak brightness of over 100,000 cd/m2. MicroLED also has a response time of less than a microsecond, which translates into better responsiveness compared to OLED, which is practical for video games.
As far as durability is concerned, the MicroLED offers better resistance to temperature variations; it has a longer lifespan than OLED. These differences make MicroLED a promising technology for the future of screens, whether on smartphones, PCs, TVs, etc. But she is still very young. Samsung offers some of these screens in MicroLED, like this one.
Source : DigiTimes
