We've been waiting a long time for the first Apple Watch with a micro-LED display, and it looks like it won't be coming anytime soon. According to the latest report, we won't be able to see the new technology until the Apple Watch Ultra launches in 2026.
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Promising predictions began in 2019, when it was hinted that Apple could start switching from OLED to micro-LED as early as 2020 – which, however, did not happen.
To understand micro-LEDs, we need to recap Apple's display roadmap, which started with IPS LCD with conventional backlighting.
Apple then introduced IPS LCD with miniLED backlighting in the iPad Pro and is now using it in MacBooks. This product allows blacks to become darker and whites to become brighter, making a striking difference.
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OLED technology is increasingly being used in larger displays, gradually replacing its use in smaller displays. Apple first used OLED technology in the Apple Watch and then incorporated it into the iPhone, starting with the iPhone X.So far, the company has not used OLED screens in either the iPad or MacBook. However, it is expected to release an iPad with an OLED display early next year. OLED technology offers more vivid colors and deeper blacks. It is also more energy efficient.
Micro-LED consists of tiny LEDs, which form entire arrays and make up each pixel element. Micro-LEDs are a hundred times smaller than classic LEDs.
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The upcoming technology offers two key advantages over OLED. Offering a degree of control means the display offers even better quality. This means that micro-LED uses inorganic materials and therefore does not face the issues that OLED, which uses organic materials, can face.
