Apple Watch Ultra 2’s generously large display, expected to switch from OLED to microLED, will come out later than previously estimated, grow by 10% in size and cost more, according to a research company.
Other recent estimates pushed back the launch time frame to 2025, but now it may actually be 2026.
Apple Watch Ultra will switch to 10% larger microLED display in 2026
Previously estimated as a 2025 release by analyst Ross Young and others, the new microLED display for Apple Watch Ultra will come out in 2026, increase in size by about 10% and cost 2.5 to 3 times what the OLED display costs to make, TrendForce said in a report.
Currently, the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a 1.91-inch screen. That will go to 2.12 inches in the upcoming model, according to TrendForce Senior Research Vice President Eric Chiou.
Apple has worked for roughly 10 years on microLED display tech and said it plans to eventually replaced other types of screens — LCD, OLED, and miniLED — across the board in products. The highly efficient technology increases brightness and has benefits in color reproduction, viewing angles and dynamic range.
Chioy added that the new display’s tiny chip — less than 100 microns square — will come from German LED maker ams OSRAM. And its panel will come from South Korea’s LG Display. It will handle chip mass-transfer engineering and provide LTPO glass backplates.
While the bigger display will cost up to three times as much as the current display to make, Chioy said Apple’s strong bargaining power in the supply chain could keep it under $120, in “a reasonable range for a new technology.”
In addition, Chioy suggested Apple will manage large shipments, helping boost demand for microLED chips in the industry.
