Apple will bring a microLED screen to its wrist wearable, according to a reliable source of insider info. This would replace the OLED displays currently in Apple Watch.
A switch to microLED would bring an improved type of screen: brighter and less prone to burn-in.
microLED Apple Watch means a brighter display
Apple Watch uses an OLED display, in which each pixel glows individually so there’s no need for a backlight. But the “O” in the acronym stands for organic, and these molecules can fail if overused.
microLED is similar tech except that it does not use organics. That makes pixels able to glow more brightly with less chance of screen burn-in.
Apple apparently likes the idea of brighter, longer-lasting displays because it’s reportedly prepping a wearable using one. It’ll be something of a wait, though.
“Hearing that the first Apple MicroLED Watch will launch in spring 2025 with panel production starting by the end of 2024,” said Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, in a tweet. Young’s sources in Apple’s supply chain have enabled him to make many reliable predictions in the past.
A previous unconfirmed report indicated that the next-generation Apple Watch Ultra will have a microLED display.
The exact timing predicted by Young is somewhat surprising as new Apple Watch models are typically introduced in the fall. Still, a spring launch would be in time for “Dads and Grads” season, which also includes Mother’s Day, when many gifts are given.
Do not confuse microLED with mini-LED, which is a very different type of screen and already in use in multiple Apple devices. microLED, in contrast, is still fairly new technology that has not yet gone mainstream. A few TVs unveiled using it have had eye-watering prices: Samsung’s 89-inch model will supposedly sell for $80,000.
