The rumored Apple Watch Ultra with a microLED display may be dead, according to AppleInsider.
Apple is believed to be the unnamed customer whose sudden cancellation of orders for microLED displays thought to be for the Apple Watch Ultra, which has caused the shares of Apple supplier ams OSRAM to drop 40%.
In 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.”
However, if AppleInsider is right, we may never know what such a device would have cost.
