Apple Working With TSMC on Micro OLED Displays for Upcoming AR Glasses

[MacRumors]

Apple has partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to develop "ultra-advanced" micro OLED displays at a secret facility in Taiwan, reports Nikkei. The micro OLED displays will be used in "upcoming augmented reality devices."

Micro OLED displays are built directly on to chip wafers rather than a glass substrate, which results in displays that are thinner, smaller, and more power efficient. These slimmer micro OLED displays are ideal for smaller devices like the smart glasses that Apple is rumored to be working on.

Development on micro OLED displays is said to be in the trial production stage and it will be several years before Apple and TSMC are ready for mass production, which would make these displays appropriate for the Apple Glasses rumored to be launching sometime around 2023. The displays that are in the works right now are said to be less than one inch in size, which is where TSMC's expertise comes in handy.

Apple already partners with TSMC on all of the A-series chips used in the iPhone and iPad and the new M1 Apple silicon chips that are used in Apple's Mac lineup.

"Panel players are good at making screens bigger and bigger, but when it comes to thin and light devices like AR glasses, you need a very small screen," said a source who has direct information on the micro OLED R&D project. "Apple is partnering with TSMC to develop the technology because the chipmaker's expertise is making things ultra-small and good, while Apple is also leveraging panel experts' know-how on display technologies."

In addition to working on micro OLED displays in factories located in Taiwan, Apple is also exploring microLED technology, with trial production lines in place for both display types. A June 2020 report suggested Apple had invested $330 million in a Taiwanese factory developing microLED displays for Apple Watch, iPads, and MacBooks alongside supplier Epistar.

MicroLED, a technology separate from micro OLED, uses components that are smaller than those used in traditional LED lighting. These displays do not require backlight modules so they can be thinner, plus they offer high color contrast and can be used to make foldable or curved screens.

According to Nikkei, Apple has several unmarked white laboratory buildings in Longtan Science Park in Taiwan focusing on new display technologies, with the location within walking distance of TSMC's chip-packing and testing plant. Apple has been hiring veterans from display maker AU Optoelectronics to work on micro OLED, and employees are subject to strict non-disclosure agreements that forbid them from "even meeting with friends or acquaintances working in the tech industry."

Apple's investments in both micro OLED and microLED are said to be aimed at reducing its dependence on Samsung Electronics in the future. Samsung is Apple's main supplier for the OLED displays used in current iPhones.

Article Link: Apple Working With TSMC on Micro OLED Displays for Upcoming AR Glasses

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Apple Glasses are expected to land before Apple car.

Mark my words!

 

[Ken88]

sorry I don’t like wearing glasses..only wearing sunglasses during summer time.

 

[Skika]

sorry I don’t like wearing glasses..only wearing sunglasses during summer time.

Never liked wearing watches either, until the Apple watch.

 

[LFC2020]

Never liked wearing watches either, until the Apple watch.

Same here, the Apple Watch comes in handy for my notifications when I’m out and about, can’t see a use case for apple glasses though

Now the million dollar question, will everyone copy apple once they release them, or will Samsung mock apple and then rush a half baked product to the market like the rest of their hardware. ?

 

[Jury]

Tim Cook: Apple and TSMC are developing 0.1-inch and 1-inch MicroOLED for AR device and to be launched in 2030.

 

[entropys]

I am waiting for transparent aluminium.

 

[LFC2020]

Tim Cook: Apple and TSMC are developing 0.1-inch and 1-inch MicroOLED for AR device and to be launched in 2030.

Sounds like something Jony Ives would do lol.

 

[calstanford]

Another thing to recharge (ideally with yet another port for good measure!)

In the morning, unplug your iPhone from Lightning or Magsafe, unplug your Macbook from USB-C or Magsafe, unplug your iPad from USB-C or Lighning, lift up your Apple Watch from Watch Charger, pick up your Airpods from Qi Charger or Lightning and now also your AR glasses from whoknowswhat.

Do the reverse in the evening.

Fun new times. Soon will take longer than getting ready in the bathroom.

 

[bobmans]

Mini LED, Micro LED and now Micro OLED? What's next?

 

[munpip214]

Another thing to recharge (ideally with yet another port for good measure!)

In the morning, unplug your iPhone from Lightning or Magsafe, unplug your Macbook from USB-C or Magsafe, unplug your iPad from USB-C or Lighning, lift up your Apple Watch from Watch Charger, pick up your Airpods from Qi Charger or Lightning and now also your AR glasses from whoknowswhat.

Do the reverse in the evening.

Fun new times. Soon will take longer than getting ready in the bathroom.

Maybe this will have true wireless charging*. Maybe even get that for Apple Watch in a few years too. Just charge on your wrist while you sleep
*accessory not included

 

[appleguy123]

Same here, the Apple Watch comes in handy for my notifications when I’m out and about, can’t see a use case for apple glasses though

Now the million dollar question, will everyone copy apple once they release them, or will Samsung mock apple and then rush a half baked product to the market like the rest of their hardware. ?

They’ll come out 3 months before the Apple Glasses but have no clear use case so the 3 early adopters will enjoy looking at their Samsung Pay transactions in AR and converting people’s faces into emoji.

 

[rp2011]

I don’t like wearing pants. My family can't wait for the Apple pants.

 

[olegunnar]

Now the million dollar question, will everyone copy apple once they release them, or will Samsung mock apple and then rush a half baked product to the market like the rest of their hardware. ?

The Samsung Monocle.

 

[44267547]

“A June 2020 report suggested Apple had invested $330 million in a Taiwanese factory developing microLED displays for Apple Watch, iPads, and MacBooks alongside supplier Epistar.”

so according to the article, then we would probably see micro LED debut first for said products above, then the OLED glasses. The question is, when does micro LED make its debut? As a guesstimateI would say at least two years from now, and then the glasses may be another year so after that, so realistically the Apple glasses launch around 2024/2025.

 

[jeanlain]

Mini LED, Micro LED and now Micro OLED? What's next?

AFAIK, mini LED refers to LCD backlight and micro LED may not be transparent enough for glasses.
OLED can power transparent displays, but pixels would be too big for glasses.

But I wonder how AR glasses work with optics, since you can't focus on something that is that close to your eyes, and I suppose Apple won't add big lenses like in VR headsets.
How the hololens works with respect to optics is still a mystery to me and I haven't see any technical explanation. Some websites speculate about how light is emitted from the glass, but they don't say anything about how it can make a sharp image on your retina, especially given the absence of lens between the screen and your eyes.
Does the hololens make objets appear closer and others further away (I mean not just with respect to viewing angles, but also to your focus point)?

On a VR headset, you alway focus at the same distance regardless of what you're looking at, because the screen is fixed and light rays from a given pixel are always emitting with the same angles. So if you hold an object in your VR hand at a simulated distance that is 2" from your eyes, both the object and the background will look sharp, which is of couse not what happens in real life.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

Same here, the Apple Watch comes in handy for my notifications when I’m out and about, can’t see a use case for apple glasses though

Now the million dollar question, will everyone copy apple once they release them, or will Samsung mock apple and then rush a half baked product to the market like the rest of their hardware. ?

samsungs hardware is the foundation of apples success.
If you wanna be the cool guy - mock them for their eco system or software.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

I have high expectations for apple glasses.
I think apple can get this right - and everyone will follow - it seems a kind of silent agreement between the tech companies to wait until apple comes out with something.

for ME this will replace my phone completely!

 

[Freeangel1]

the $3000 AR Glasses. I'm OUT. I live a frugal life.
$3000 for AR glasses in a pandemic where I hear now that we need to be vaccinated every year for COVID is OUT.

 

[LFC2020]

for ME this will replace my phone completely!

Big call, unfortunately can’t see that happening.

 

[LFC2020]

the $3000 AR Glasses. I'm OUT. I live a frugal life.
$3000 for AR glasses in a pandemic where I hear now that we need to be vaccinated every year for COVID is OUT.

Are AR glasses even that popular? never even considered buying a pair, seems like a product that you’ll use a few times and then the novelty wears off.

 

[Ken88]

Mini LED, Micro LED and now Micro OLED? What's next?

CrystalLED

 

[svanstrom]

I am waiting for transparent aluminium.

Aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃)… is the base for rubies and sapphires… sooo… sapphire glass basically is the transparent aluminum that you've been waiting for.

 

[svanstrom]

the $3000 AR Glasses. I'm OUT. I live a frugal life.
$3000 for AR glasses in a pandemic where I hear now that we need to be vaccinated every year for COVID is OUT.

If you compare a $3000 product with a yearly visit to the doc I'm guessing… American (??)?

 

[Williesleg]

That's great because the first time I heard about apple glasses I didn't wear glasses, it was over 10 years ago. Now I wear reading glasses so maybe by the time they ship I'll look great in them laying in my coffin!