Apple is planning to use new low-energy OLED panel technology in its upcoming Apple Watch, claims a new report from Korean publication The Elec. The report says the new technology will further reduce the power consumption of its always-on display.
The report claims Apple will adopt new low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology for its next-generation Apple Watch, which will likely debut in the second half of this year.
LTPO, or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide, is a low-energy OLED display technology that Apple first used for the Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018. It has an Oxide TFT structure that uses up to 15 percent less power than LTPS.
As noted by MacRumors, LPTO TFT is a method of applying oxide on the driving TFT and the switching transistors behind each pixel. Switching transistors control the voltage applied to the liquid crystal cells, allowing precise control of the amount of light that passes through each pixel.
Currently, the Apple Watch OLED display uses LPTO TFT in only a few switching transistors, using low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) technology for the majority of transistors as well as the driving TFT.
Samsung is participating in a development project that should see it join Apple’s LPTO OLED supply chain in time for next year’s Apple Watch.
