May 5, 2024

Apple Plans to Bring MicroLED Displays to Mac But It Could Take a Decade [Gurman]

Posted January 15, 2023 at 6:48pm by iClarified · 3060 views
Apple has plans to bring microLED displays to Apple Watch, iPhone, and eventually iPad and Mac, according to Mark Gurman.

Following up on a recent Bloomberg report, Gurman reiterates that the Apple Watch Ultra is expected to get a microLED display as early as next year. This is after about six years of development.

Around 2017, Apple kicked off its secretive T159 project to build microLED displays that could one day replace parts from Samsung, LG and others. The screens are brighter, have better color reproduction and can be seen from more angles. They make images look like they are painted on top of the device's glass and are quite the technological feat.

Notably, LG may be preparing a production line to make backplanes for this display.

Gurman expects it will take a few years for microLED to make its way to iPhone, after that he says it will likely expand to iPad and Mac as well.

I think the plan is for Apple to bring microLED to all its products, from iPhones to iPads to Macs. But the technology is still so nascent and complicated that it could be a decade before we see it in a Mac. Don't forget how long these transitions can take: The iPhone had OLED screens six years before the iPad is expected to get them.

We'll be closely tracking the progress of microLED. Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for updates.