Apple Drops Plans to Develop MicroLED Displays for Apple Watch

[MacRumors]

Apple has ended a project to develop microLED displays in-house, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in a reversal of his prior reporting on the development of the technology. Apple invested billions in developing microLED displays, with plans to first add microLED to the Apple Watch Ultra.

MicroLED was too expensive and too complex for Apple to design, so Apple is now reorganizing its display engineering teams and laying off employees in the U.S. and Asia. Some of the displaced employees may be able to find other roles in the company, and others will be provided with severance.

Rumors that Apple had canceled plans for an Apple Watch with microLED first surfaced in February when supplier ams OSRAM said that a "cornerstone project" related to microLED had been canceled. Soon after, there were rumors that Apple had ended its relationship with Kulicke & Soffa, another company in the advanced display market.

Both analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Display Supply Chain Consultants confirmed that Apple had canceled work on a microLED Apple Watch after these rumors, but Gurman claimed that Apple was still working on the device. In a now-deleted tweet, Gurman said that ams OSRAM was "one supplier" on the project, and that there were several other suppliers Apple was working with. "I doubt it was canceled," he wrote.

DigiTimes and ETNews also suggested that ams OSRAM was replaced due to a performance drop and that Apple had another supplier lined up, but it appears that information was incorrect.

MicroLED technology uses microscopic LEDs for individual pixels. It's more energy efficient than traditional LED, offers improved contrast, and has faster response times. Colors are brighter and better, and there's no risk of burn-in as there is with OLED. Apple is said to have abandoned the project because it was not economically viable.

Gurman claims that Apple will stick with OLED display technology for the Apple Watch "for now," but that the company is "eyeing microLED for other projects down the road." Apple is "identifying" potential new suppliers and processes for microLED, but it "won't likely happen anytime soon."

Article Link: Apple Drops Plans to Develop MicroLED Displays for Apple Watch

 

[d5aqoëp]

What’s up with Apple lately?
Apple ends Apple Car R&D, Apple ends 5G Modem R&D and now this? Not cutting edge anymore?

 

[Fuzzball84]

MicroLED is just so much more robust than OLED. Manufacturing it is the problem. But in time it will be everywhere.

 

[erikkfi]

Can't build AirPower, can't build a car, can't build MicroLED. What is going on with this company?

 

[hovscorpion12]

Apple is slowly becoming a nightmare. The Apple that once was, no longer exists.

I'm 100% convinced that every product Apple releases from this point, will be trash.

 

[sw1tcher]

Apple has ended a project to develop microLED displays in-house, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in a reversal of his prior reporting on the development of the technology. Apple invested billions in developing microLED displays, with plans to first add microLED to the Apple Watch Ultra.

MicroLED was too expensive and too complex for Apple to design, so Apple is now reorganizing its display engineering teams and laying off employees in the U.S. and Asia. Some of the displaced employees may be able to find other roles in the company, and others will be provided with severance.

Billions spent on Apple Car with nothing to show for it. Billions spent on microLED with nothing to show for it.

Eek.

 

[Supercyborgninja]

Welp that isn’t something I wanted to hear. Less heartbreaking than Apple car but still…

 

[MayaUser]

What’s up with Apple lately?
Apple ends Apple Car R&D, Apple ends 5G Modem R&D and now this? Not cutting edge anymore?

nothing even was official...so all these could be just rumours

 

[Populus]

This wasn’t unexpected given the recent news, but it is sad anyways

 

[MayaUser]

Billions spent on Apple Car with nothing to show for it. Billions spent on microLED with nothing to show for it.

Eek.

how do you know? do you have Apple books? Maybe everything was a lie/bad rumour

 

[jz0309]

Mark Gurman in a reversal of his prior reporting on the development of the technology.

so he was wrong? really? did he say so?

So he could also be wrong on the 3/26 date for iPad launch?

 

[vegetassj4]

"because it was not economically viable."

Tim Apple, down on his luck with multiple bugs, lawsuits, processor exploits, a DOJ investigation and an OLED program that is not economically viable, stars as William Foster in the 30th anniversary remake of the Michael Douglas cult classic: Falling Down (Only on Apple TV+)

Falling Down | Rotten Tomatoes

A middle-aged man dealing with both unemployment and divorce, William Foster (Michael Douglas) is having a bad day. When his car breaks down on a Los Angeles highway, he leaves his vehicle and begins a trek across the city to attend his daughter's birthday party. As he makes his way through the...

www.rottentomatoes.com

 

[jz0309]

but Gurman claimed that Apple was still working on the device. In a now-deleted tweet, Gurman said that ams OSRAM was "one supplier" on the project, and that there were several other suppliers Apple was working with. "I doubt it was canceled," he wrote.

so this is how his "reversal" came about? Can't admit that he was wrong?

 

[sw1tcher]

how do you know? do you have Apple books? Maybe everything was a lie/bad rumour

Yes, I have Apple Books.

 

[coffeemilktea]

First they dropped the Apple Car, now they drop these cool new MicroLED displays? Next you're going to tell me that they'll cancel that really awesome Apple AI project and just switch to something lame like Google's goofy Gemini tech-

...oh yeah, huh? 😅

 

[Mooey]

Tim Apple needs to retire. Samsung delivering superior hardware. Google delivering superior software. AI is taking off and Apple's concerned with some overpriced ski goggles as VR. Cut your losses, Timmy.

 

[IIGS User]

Can't build AirPower, can't build a car, can't build MicroLED. What is going on with this company?

Vision Pro?

 

[spaxxedout]

Severance checks or 1 month free of Apple TV+ to watch Severence?

 

[deadspider187]

I find this stranger than the other cancellations because the industry will likely be moving to this technology in the future regardless of Apple's inability to use it.

 

[Anaxarxes]

People thinking this is some sort of bad news should know one thing or two when it comes to how to run a company.

• You start with a business case. You include reasons, why it's important (What/So what/Now what), forecast a profit and loss analysis. You state what resources are needed and how much time it'll take to keep the project up and running, as well as how much the return of investment will be.
• In technologies like displays, modems etc, there are ample amount of players in the game that do these as their core business. Apple is developing these solutions so they can invest now and reap the benefits later where every component would be returning better margins (profit) for every product sold. (Apple's average margin is around 70% which is unheard of in tech industry)
• Apple is reassessing its developments and deciding to kill some, because they now KNOW (not believe) that continued efforts will either not come to fruition or would be much more expensive than they thought.
• So all these cancellations are just refocusing company resources where it would benefit most to the company. Apple may think of redeveloping MicroLED displays in the future when the science is better positioned for commercialisation.

Cook can be interpreted as uninfluential. But he's a master of operations and he knows a thing or two when running the company (commercially)

 

[sw1tcher]

First they dropped the Apple Car, now they drop these cool new MicroLED displays? Next you're going to tell me that they'll cancel that really awesome Apple AI project and just switch to something lame like Google's goofy Gemini tech-

...oh yeah, huh? 😅

Up next is Apple cancelling plans (after spending billions) to develop their own modems after numerous set backs, delays and other disappoinments.

 

[contacos]

What’s up with Apple lately?
Apple ends Apple Car R&D, Apple ends 5G Modem R&D and now this? Not cutting edge anymore?

Seems like Apple is more into cost cutting and margins nowadays. Soon Apple products will just look like everything else for double the price. Shame.

 

[Apple$]

Must be the world economy now, seems like some companies are cutting on spending.

 

[McWetty]

What’s up with Apple lately?
Apple ends Apple Car R&D, Apple ends 5G Modem R&D and now this? Not cutting edge anymore?

1000 no’s for every 1 yes?

I’m sure dozens of projects get canned. It’s just a tax write off. Now the employees getting laid off… that sucks and may be a more telling sign.

 

[Spidder]

What’s up with Apple lately?
Apple ends Apple Car R&D, Apple ends 5G Modem R&D and now this? Not cutting edge anymore?

Thats just how R&D works.

In most of the cases you fail and if you do, you reallocate those resources to other projects or you cut them partially or even entirely. Happens all the time.