According to recent reports, Apple will begin replacing its mobile devices’ displays with its in-house screen technology as soon as next year. The tech giant will reportedly start with its highest-end Apple Watches in late 2024, swapping the devices’ current OLED screens with its own microLED technology. This technology is expected to eventually make its way to all other Apple devices, including the iPhone. The new display is reportedly brighter with more vibrant colors and will make it seem as if watch faces and other content are painted on top of the glass, and can be viewed better at an angle.
Reports about Apple’s efforts to develop its own display technology first surfaced back in 2018, and the company was originally aiming to introduce the technology in 2020. However, the costs and technical challenges associated with the development have caused delays. The company has reportedly spent several billion dollars on its development and is already testing the new screen on an update to the Apple Watch Ultra. It is also test manufacturing the screens in its facility in Santa Clara, California, though it may ultimately outsource its mass production.
This shift to its own displays could be a big blow to Apple’s suppliers, mainly Samsung and LG, but manufacturers may have been bracing for this change for some time now. Apple has been known to develop its own components in a bid to reduce reliance on third-party companies. It had previously moved away from Intel processors to its own chips for Mac computers and it’s also planning to use its own wireless chipsets in iPhones by 2025.
