Apple‘s eagerly awaited switch to custom microLED displays, initially planned for the Apple Watch Ultra, seems to have hit a snag. Recent issues with suppliers like ams-Osram, along with economic concerns, have reportedly caused Apple to cancel its plans for the microLED Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple cancels microLED Watch Ultra project
According to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has scrapped a significant microLED order with the Austrian firm ams-Osram, speculated to be for the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 3.
While it’s been rumored that the Austrian firm ams-Osram would supply microLED displays for the Watch Ultra, the company recently announced “a cornerstone project underpinning its microLED strategy got unexpectedly canceled, triggering the company to re-assess its microLED strategy” in a dedicated press release.
Osram hasn’t confirmed that Apple was the client that withdrew from its major microLED deal. But analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has confirmed that Apple has indeed scrapped its microLED Apple Watch project with its exclusive LED chip supplier for microLED display, Osram.
Kuo highlights that Apple may have concluded that microLED technology while promising, does not offer a substantial enough improvement to justify its high production costs.
However, other sources, such as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, suggest there may be more to the story. Gurman posits that ams-Osram might be only one of Apple’s microLED suppliers, implying that the Apple Watch Ultra’s display upgrade may still be happening.
Apple’s interest in microLED displays is well-documented. The technology has the potential to deliver brighter, more power-efficient screens. Previous rumors hinted at a gradual rollout of microLED technology across Apple’s product lines, starting with the Apple Watch and eventually expanding to iPads, iPhones, and MacBooks.
For now, the future of the microLED Apple Watch Ultra remains uncertain. Whether this is a temporary setback or a significant shift in strategy will likely become clearer with time.
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