William Gallagher for AppleInsider:
Following years of development with different suppliers, Apple is reportedly close to switching Apple Watch display from OLED to micro LED, and production is expected to begin in time for a fall 2020 launch.
According to sources in the supply chain, Apple is close to signing a deal with two Taiwanese manufacturers for Apple Watch micro LED displays in 2020. If correct, the move is the culmination of several years of Apple attempting to replace the current OLED displays.
The two manufacturers are believed to be Yu Chuang, which develops micro LED processors, and Sui Bao, which assembles displays… Yu Chuang would not comment, but Sui Bao told Economic Daily News that its production line is ready and that it is in discussions with what is described as the US smart watch industry.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple Watch goes microLED first, then Apple Glasses next? iPhone and iPad, too, because if all goes well and production becomes efficient and repeatable, microLED will eventually kill off OLED as it is capable of being even brighter (as much as 30 times), is more energy efficient in terms of lux/W, and doesn’t suffer from burn-in.
Is this just microLED backlighting an LCD display for the Apple Watch, or is this an actual, high-resolution microLED display? I find it hard to believe with the resolution of an Apple Watch, a true MicroLED display could be ready by 2020 for an Apple Watch…