Apple halts MicroLED display development for its smartwatches: Here's why
Apple has decided to discontinue its in-house efforts to create a MicroLED display for the Apple Watch, as per Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The decision was influenced by the steep expenses and intricate nature of the project's development. This action aligns with the company's recent discontinuation of a self-driving car project, signifying a strategic shift in focus for the tech behemoth.
Job reductions ensue following project discontinuation
The termination of the MicroLED display project has resulted in several engineering job losses at Apple, as stated by the report. Some of these layoffs took place at the company's proprietary screen manufacturing facility located in California. This occurrence corroborates earlier speculations from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who proposed that high production costs rendered the in-house MicroLED display financially impractical.
A retrospective on the company's plans
Speculation about Apple creating its own MicroLED displays for its smartwatches began circulating last year. Bloomberg had previously disclosed that these displays were slated for an Apple Watch launch in 2024 or 2025. The initiative to develop in-house displays was perceived as a tactic to decrease the company's dependence on designs from other manufacturers like Samsung and LG.
Apple maintains interest in microLED technology despite setbacks
Even though Apple has discontinued the MicroLED display project for the Apple Watch, it appears that the company hasn't entirely abandoned this technology. As per Bloomberg, the tech giant is still investigating new suppliers and methods to integrate MicroLED technology into its products. At present, Apple employs an OLED display in its watches, which provides a bright and vivid screen. The precise advantages of a MicroLED display are yet to be determined beyond potential efficiency enhancements.