This won't occur very soon.
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| (Image credit: Future) |
There have been long-running rumors that the Apple Watch Ultra will include a microLED display. However, the corporation has delayed such plans for the time being, so that's not happening, according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg.
As per the source, Apple had to abandon its highly anticipated wristwatch project due to the excessive expense of the advanced display technology.
It appears that the initiative was abandoned long ago since, according to Gurman, Apple decided to give up "around the same time as the company’s decision to cancel work on a self-driving car."
Since people employed in the microLED division would no longer be required, the shelving of that section sadly also meant the elimination of several dozen engineering positions in the US and Asia. The division's surviving staff members will be transferred to different departments inside Apple.
Reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also stated that the Apple Watch will not have microLED screens before the end of February. Kuo claims that "the production costs are too high to make it economically viable," which lends even more credence to the Bloomberg article.
It seems that the rumors about Apple's continued commitment to microLED display technology that we heard shortly after those stories were published were untrue.
MicroLED Apple Watch Rumors: Origins Revealed
The reports about an Apple Watch with a microLED display are not new. It is even more unexpected that Apple has given up on the technology for an Apple Watch Ultra, considering reports have it that the corporation has been working on it since 2023.
In the event that the technology proved to be unaffordable, it would be more prudent for the company to stop losing money and move on. But as Gurman noted, Apple is "eyeing microLED for other projects down the road," so it's possible that we won't see the future screen technology in our beloved Apple products as soon as we initially believed.
MicroLED Benefits for Apple Watch Unveile
With its tiny LEDs for individual pixels, the new screen technology seemed like a significant advancement for wristwatch displays. There are rumors that the new Ultra will have a 2.12-inch screen, which will supposedly be slimmer and brighter than an OLED panel. It can still have a bigger screen, but without the microLED screen, it won't be as slim and the images on it won't be as vivid and dazzling.
Efficiency is another advantage of microLED technology. An Apple Watch has a small battery and is a relatively compact gadget, so having a more power-efficient display would increase battery life and make the watch more useful for tracking sleep and fitness during the day.
Lastly, burn-in, a major issue with OLED displays, is not a concern with microLED. Although it doesn't seem likely that we'll be seeing one anytime soon, a microLED Apple Watch may offer many of the advantages of an OLED wristwatch without the disadvantages.