Apple is reported to be in talks with Taiwanese display manufacturers to make the move to microLED displays in its products as soon as 2020.
The Economic Daily News says the Cupertino firm is readying an Apple Watch that will feature a microLED display, replacing the current OLED display, which is manufactured by LG Display.
While none of the suppliers said to be in discussions with Apple confirmed such talks, one of them did confirm they were in contact with the U.S. smartwatch industry.
As pointed out by 9to5Mac, mass production of a microLED display would require an approximately 9-month lead time, meaning the 2019 Apple Watch will likely continue to use the current wearable’s OLED panels.
The 2020 Apple Watch would be the first Apple device to use a microLED display, says the report, with Apple making the move to microLED in iPhones further down the line.
In March, a report from Bloomberg first mentioned Apple’s planned move to microLED displays. The report indicated Apple was building custom microLED screens in a facility near Apple Park.
The move from OLED to microLED is expected to provide benefits such as miniaturization and battery life improvements, as microLED pixels are more power-efficient. MicroLED is also said to be less prone to “burn-in” than OLED panels.
