Apple Drops Plans to Develop MicroLED Displays for Apple Watch

[Nautilus007]

I swear macrumors has published this same article 4 times now. They are moving forward with MicroLED, they aren't , no wait, they are - never mind they aren't anymore.

Time to get some new sources.

 

[jz0309]

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

• You start with a business case. You include reasons, why is it important (What/So what/Now what) forecasted profit and loss analysis etc. You state your needed resources 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 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)
• So Apple is reassessing the developments, the delays and challenges in each project 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 resources where it would benefit the most to the company. Apple may think of redeveloping MicroLED displays in the future when the science is better positioned for commercialisation.

Cook can ben interpreted as uninfluential.

But he's a master of operations and he knows a thing or two when running the company (commercially)

Well, you just make too much sense …
And for clarification: I am NOT sarcastic.
A lot of posters here have no clue how a tech company works…

 

[k1121j]

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?

Got to watch that bottom line at all costs. It’s gonna be the death of Apple. Profits over product. In general that’s my feeling not just the car and watch.

 

[spazzcat]

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

• You start with a business case. You include reasons, why is it important (What/So what/Now what) forecasted profit and loss analysis etc. You state your needed resources 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 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)
• So Apple is reassessing the developments, the delays and challenges in each project 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 resources where it would benefit the most to the company. Apple may think of redeveloping MicroLED displays in the future when the science is better positioned for commercialisation.

Cook can ben interpreted as uninfluential.

But he's a master of operations and he knows a thing or two when running the company (commercially)

And all this is based on rumors. We have no real way to know if Apple is/was working on these things. Nor do we know if they have been canceled.

 

[jz0309]

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.

Not only that, this was all rumors to begin with and Apple is working on another 25 ( or make up your own number) projects that we have not heard about, and some of them will succeed while some won’t…

 

[Kevin2055]

The cost is not a big deal because Apple makes $33B per quarter.
But the future is not promising.

 

[timber]

Although this may not look good I don't look at it as necessarily a bad thing.

A lot of these cancelled projects showed a lot of hubris. This doesn't happen only with Apple but still sometimes you need to acknowledge there are limits on some things so you can go beyond in other areas were you excel.

 

[pdaholic]

Don’t worry everyone. Apple is just temporarily halting their hardware production to focus on software inadequacies.
😂

 

[AlastorKatriona]

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

His career depends on never being wrong.

 

[2540497]

Anyone else get the feeling the walls are closing in on embattled Tim Cook and the wider leadership of Apple? Incompetence and failure is becoming endemic.

 

[schneeland]

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?

Given that the stock price development was not that great over the last year (only about +10%), they might have decided to have a closer look at internal projects and do some pruning to optimize their bottom line.

 

[bousozoku]

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

Eek.

Xerox PARC was probably a waste, also. Research doesn't always lead to a profitable product.

 

[CWallace]

Apple cancelling products outside of their "core competency" is probably a good thing, frankly. Apple has had great success partnering with and sourcing components from companies where this technology is their "core competency". I get Apple wants more control over (and profits from) the supply chain by doing it themselves, but they are not really organized to be doing dozens or scores of things at the same time.

MicroLED is still a technology very much in early development. Commercial applications are limited and orders of magnitude more expensive than OLED or MiniLED alternatives. But when it is finally a commercially-viable technology, Apple will partner with those companies and they will improve their product by meeting Apple's demand. Just as Samsung improved the quality of their OLED smartphone displays to meet Apple's requirements. Or like how TSMC improved the yields and performance efficiency of their fabs to meet Apple's requirements. And how Qualcomm is likely improving their cellular modems to increase the "barrier to entry" for Apple if they do go their own way.

 

[itti]

So basically it means they canceled the project entirely?

 

[Fuzzball84]

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

They do rely on other companies to manufacture products… Apple themselves probably have only limited manufacturing of some prototypes… even then a-lot of individual components and component assemblies will be outsourced.

So you're right, technically 😂

 

[smulji]

Apple cancelling products outside of their "core competency" is probably a good thing

If Apple leadership always thought like that, there would be no Apple Silicon or H1 / H2 chip or FaceID / TouchID

 

[klasma]

Some of the displaced employees […] will be provided with severance.

We know what that means from the TV show.

 

[AndiG]

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

You should take a look at Nvidia's or Microsoft's share price

 

[MrGimper]

Can’t innovate my a……… oh.

 

[rumorphobe]

I think it may ultimately be good that Tim Cook’s failed projects that would have added little to product differentiation have been acknowledged as a waste of time and innovation resources. We need product innovation.

 

[klasma]

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

They should be able to lower their prices now.


Nah, joking.

 

[AndiG]

The only thing Apple didn‘t cancel was the AVP. Tims last hope and he forced everyone to release it before it is ready to market.
Apple is done as long as it is led by people like Tim or Phil.

 

[Fuzzball84]

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.

They are pretty much doing the sane stuff they have done for the past 30 plus years… They are still making the same general approach… they are never usually first with new tech… they always jump in when they have it, mostly, right.

 

[snow755]

you can add this to the list

Apple has abandoned HomeKit Secure Routers, claim vendors

Apple's HomeKit Secure Routers were announced in 2019 but never really taken up by manufacturers, and now some vendors are claiming Apple is no longer pursuing the technology.

appleinsider.com

 

[klasma]

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.

The inability may not be limited to Apple.