After Apple updated its Apple Watch Ultra model with an S9 SiP and Double Tap gesture, the next significant improvement for Cupertino’s most rugged watch could be microLED display technology.
This is not the first time we have reported on a microLED Apple Watch Ultra. This time, the account known as Instant Digital over Weibo (via MacRumors) says this will be the next significant improvement of the Apple Watch Ultra. This account was right about the yellow iPhone 14 release, Spatial Video on the iPhone 15 Pro, and the frosted back glass on the standard iPhone 15 models.
That said, it’s essential to bring to our readers’ attention what this account is saying.
At the moment, rumors indicate that microLED technology will only land on Apple Watch Ultra by 2026 – although some reports said it could come in 2025. Either way that would mean that Apple wouldn’t update the Apple Watch Ultra next year or have no notable newer features.
TrendForce recently said the Apple Watch Ultra would add a microLED display by 2026 instead of 2025. In addition to this technology, Apple plans to increase the size of the watch’s screen to up to 2.12 inches.
This report is interesting because Apple plans to roll out microLED technology to other products after it’s available for the Apple Watch. The publication says a mcroLED display could come to Apple’s headsets, smartphones, and automotive applications.
That said, it’s unclear when Apple would switch the OLED panel on the iPhone to microLED. Currently, the company is expected to add an OLED display to the iPad Pro in 2024. Samsung Display and LG Display are working on the 8th generation of this technology to bring it to the MacBook Pro by 2026.
For Apple, the company might be ready to introduce a new generation of the Apple Vision Pro – or even its long-rumored AR glasses – by 2026, so this could help boost the growth of microLEDs. But it’s unclear when the iPhone might adopt this new display.
Previously, Apple attempted to bring microLED to the iPhone X, but the company scrapped these plans due to production difficulties and higher prices.
