OLED technology may only be a bridging technology: Apple plans to bring its own micro-LED screens to (almost) all devices in the foreseeable future. The new speculation coincides with earlier reports that the iPhone manufacturer would like to break away from complete suppliers such as Samsung or LG, whose technology is also found in products from other suppliers.
Next Ultra with ultra-bright display
Since the beginning of January there have been reports that the next generation of the Apple Watch Ultra is no longer as current equipped with an OLED screen should be, but uses the micro-LED technology. So far, all Apple computer watches have had OLED screens, and iPhone has been using them for several years. According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Apple has been working on the first “custom-designed display” for six years. The plan now is to bring the technology to all iPhones, iPads and Macs after the Apple Watch starts.
Apple is currently using the predecessor technology Mini-LED in its professional notebooks (MacBook Pro M1 Pro, M1 Max, M2 Pro and M2 Max) as well as in the – outrageously expensive – Pro Display XDR, but manufactured by external panel suppliers. What they can already achieve in terms of brightness is quite impressive. You can see this when playing HDR films on the devices or using special apps like Vivid, which unlock the mode. The micro-LED technology expands these possibilities significantly, also offers enormous color fidelity and low power consumption. A high degree of viewing angle independence should also be guaranteed. Pictures looked like an under glass painting, say people who have seen demos.
Project T159 since 2017
Apple is said to have been working on its own micro-LED screens since 2017. The project is codenamed T159. That’s roughly the length of time the iPhone has been using OLED screens. However, it can be assumed that larger displays in particular will take longer. “The technology is so new and complicated that it could be a decade before we see it in a Mac,” Gurman said. The iPad will probably come with OLED before Apple switches to micro-LED.
In terms of production, Apple would have several options. The group could hire Samsung and LG from South Korea, which would no longer produce their own panels of their own design according to Apple’s specifications, but would instead produce screens that were completely developed in-house. Alternatively, the Chinese manufacturer BOE is also conceivable, which has been trying to do big business with Apple for a long time. Whether it manages to do this with the advanced micro-LED technology remains to be seen. LG could turn first paver of such displays for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will.
(bsc)
