While there haven’t been a huge number of rumors concerning the Apple Watch 2 circling the rumor bowl, we have found one about the 2017 Apple Watch.
While this year’s Apple Watch 2 is expected to use the same OLED display technology as the original model. a report from DigiTimes indicates Apple could be looking to use micro-LED display tech in the 2017 model.
Citing its usual Taiwan-based supply chain sources, DigiTimes reported on Friday that Apple could replace OLED displays in the Apple Watch with micro-LED panels as early as the second half of 2017. It also added that Apple apparently set up a laboratory for micro-LED research and development in northern Taiwan in April of 2015.
micro-LED panels are currently more expensive to produce that the OLED panels Apple currently uses in the Apple Watch. However, micro-LED displays are said to be much more power efficient than OLED panels, so Apple’s wearable device’s battery life would certainly benefit from that.
Apple acquired micro-LED display company LuxVue back in May 2014, so they could indeed be working on a viable micro-LED display for use in the Watch.
Apple currently relies on outside vendors for the screens used in all of its devices, and the acquisition of LuxVue was seen as a possible indication that Apple was looking to bring display development in-house in a bid to lessen its reliance on third-party suppliers.
As always, any report such as this, especially one first posted by DigiTimes should be viewed and treated as just what it is, a rumor.
