Apple Vision Pro, Cupertino’s spatial computer, is expected to hit the US market in early 2024. While we previously reported that it would be tough for customers to get their hands on this product, we have also learned more about supply chain issues.
Previously, The Elec said Sony would produce 900,000 units of OLEDoS per year for Apple’s spatial computer. This technology uses silicon as a substrate to make a high-resolution micro OLED display panel. Cupertino would keep Sony as an exclusive supplier until a second generation of this product.
That said, Apple was worried about the expansiveness of the micro OLED display as Sony couldn’t keep up with production of this technology – and the Japanese company didn’t want to expand its business. With that in mind, Apple could add LG Display as a possible candidate.
Unfortunately, a new report by the Korean blog The Elec shows that LG decided not to invest in OLEDoS this year. Due to the company’s performance, uncertain profitability, and technological difficulties, LG thought it was best to wait. In addition, supply chain sources say the volume of OLEDoS panels Apple wants isn’t enough for the South Korean company to justify its investments of up to $150 million.
The publication also notes that Samsung is investing in two types of OLEDoS, one using a color filter on white and the other using RGB method that depois red, green, and blue subpixels adjacent to each other on the same layer.
Apple uses W-OLED-CF technology, and with Samsung planning to produce OLEDoS tech by 2024, the South Korean company could be a suitable candidate to diversify the Apple Vision Pro supply chain. This possibility was already raised in the past, and it might become a possibility, as it seems Apple won’t have more than 1.3 million headsets available to sell by the end of 2024.
With that in mind, getting your hands on Apple Vision Pro will be trickier than it seems. Not only does Apple very much rely on Sony, but producing this product is still a challenge. Those living in the US will have difficulty getting this product in-store, and customers from outside the US might take even longer to get a glimpse of Apple’s mixed reality headset.
We might discover more about this device during Apple’s Wonderlust event, which will take place on September 12.
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