If you go out and buy an Apple Watch today, you'll be left staring at an OLED display on your wrist. However, next year that's expected to change as Apple is thought to be switching to MicroLED.
As MacRumors reports, sources from within Apple's supply chain in China have stated that Apple is preparing to launch a new Apple Watch without an OLED display. Right now, LG Display supplies the tiny panels Apple requires, but MicroLED panels will be sourced from one or more "Taiwanese display manufacturers."
How soon the MicroLED Apple Watch launches depends on who you talk to. Chinese publication Economic Daily News believes we'll get the new Apple Watch next year, where as Bloomberg suggested last year that Apple is currently working on its own MicroLED panels in a secret facility in California without a release date, but with the iPhone also switching to MicroLED within four years.
The move to MicroLED should be welcomed by consumers because of what it means for the Apple Watch. Smartwatches are constrained by their small size, meaning a tiny battery and not much space to pack in other components without making the watch thicker. Compared to OLED, MicroLED promises to be thinner, brighter, and requires less power while still offering per-pixel lighting and no reliance on an organic substance. In other words, you can do more in the same space, such as adding a larger battery or making the Watch thinner, while offering a longer-lasting display that looks as good as OLED.
This isn't the first time we've heard about Apple making the move to MicroLED in the near future. Back in April it was reported that Foxconn is focusing on the technology for future iPhone displays. However, it looks as though Apple Watch may get it first.
