An Apple Watch Ultra with microLED display may not arrive in 2026 after all

Apple is expected to bring a microLED display to the Apple Watch Ultra. However, the Korean news site The Elec (as noted by MacRumors) says the tech giant may not have the supply chain configured early enough to launch the device by 2026.

A December 15, 2023 report from the Trendforce research group. TrendForce’s Senior Research Vice President, Eric Chiou said the next-generation Apple Watch panel would use microLED as the display technology, with a size larger than the current Apple Watch Ultra — 2.12 inches rather than the current 1.93 inches.

Chiou predicted the product would have two key suppliers: German LED giant ams OSRAM, which will exclusively supply micro-LED chips smaller than 10x10um, and South Korean panel manufacturer LG Display, responsible for the chip mass transfer engineering in addition to providing LTPO glass backplates. He added that the adoption of small-sized chips inherently helps compress costs. 

Considering Apple’s strong bargaining power in the supply chain, Chiou  estimated that when the product is launched, the cost of the micro-LED display panel could be controlled below US$120, equivalent to 2.5 to 3 times the current price of OLED panels—“a reasonable range for a new technology.”