Apple canceled plans to launch Apple Watch Ultra MicroLED due to high costs

A previous report from TrendForce said that pursuing microLED costs Apple billions of dollars. The trade plan has also been pushed back twice.

Apple has long planned to apply its advanced custom microLED display technology to the Apple Watch smartwatch product line with the launch of the Apple Watch Ultra version. However, after many missed appointments, it seems that Apple has officially scrapped this project completely due to a series of irreconcilable issues.

According to famous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Cupertino company canceled plans to launch the Apple Watch Ultra microLED due to higher-than-expected panel costs, while the commercial value that this upgrade brings not enough to cover that cost. AMS-OSRAM was Apple's exclusive LED chip supplier for the project at the time the project was cancelled.

Apple canceled plans to launch Apple Watch Ultra MicroLED due to high costs Picture 1 Apple canceled plans to launch Apple Watch Ultra MicroLED due to high costs Picture 1

Agreeing with Ming-Chi Kuo, a supply chain consultant from Counterpoint Research also stated that Apple's Apple Watch Ultra microLED project was "unexpectedly canceled". There is currently no word on whether the company plans to restart the project in the near future.

The production of microLED displays is quite complex compared to OLED or LCD, entailing greater costs, making the project "less economically viable." A report from TrendForce previously said that the pursuit of microLED costing Apple billions of dollars. The commercial plan has also been pushed back twice.

Kuo revealed the results of a recent survey conducted by his team showing that Apple canceled MicroLED projects for the Apple Watch line because they believed this technology could not add significant value to the product, Meanwhile, production costs are too high so they cannot be economically effective. At the same time, the analyst also said that this is a "big step backward" for Apple.

AMS-OSRAM was Apple's exclusive LED chip supplier for the project at the time the project was cancelled. Apple has been working with AMS-Osram and many other suppliers since 2018. Apple's goal is to produce microLED screens to put on the Watch Ultra, reducing dependence on Korean screen manufacturing companies. .

According to the expected plan, Apple Watch Ultra microLED will be the first product to switch from OLED screen to microLED screen. The company is also expected to bring this technology to additional products such as iPhone, iPad and Mac. Although this plan may be shelved for now, it cannot be ruled out that Apple may restart microLED technology in the future. Let's wait and see.