Bloomberg: Apple stops development of Apple Watches with its own microLED screen – Tablets and phones – News

Apple is no longer working on Apple Watch models with a homemade microLED screen. Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman reports this based on conversations with insiders. The development of the screens would have proven to be too expensive and complex.

Apple recently disbanded the internal team working on its own microLED displays, writes Mark Gurman. The displays would be too expensive to develop in large quantities due to the complexity of the underlying technology, which uses individual inorganic LEDs for each individual pixel. Although the design and manufacture of the screens in house took place at Apple, the mass production of that technology required collaboration with several external parties, according to the journalist. According to Gurman, the decision to stop developing these screens will likely result in the layoff of “a few dozen” employees.

The Bloomberg journalist claims that these screens were first intended to be used in high-end Apple Watch models, replacing their OLED screens. The displays should then also be used for other products, such as iPhones and Macs. Gurman says the company still plans to eventually add microLED displays to products other than Apple Watches. The tech giant is said to be looking for ways to simplify the production process. According to the journalist’s sources, it will probably take some time before development is resumed.

In 2018, Gurman first reported that Apple was planning to use its own microLED screens in mobile devices. With this, the company would like to reduce its dependence on suppliers such as Samsung and LG. Because microLED screens provide each pixel with a small LED, these displays have a higher contrast and brightness than OLED panels.

The first Apple Watches with such a screen were reportedly planned to be released in 2020. In January 2023, Gurman wrote that the release plans had been postponed to the end of 2024. Later, The Elec reported that Apple has again postponed the watches due to production problems, this time to 2026.

Apple’s decision to stop developing microLED displays came at about the same time, according to Gurman, as it decided to scrap its plans to build a self-driving car. The company has been working on its own EV since 2014 and is said to have invested more than $10 billion in the project.