Rumored micro LED Apple Watch debut shifts again, this time to 2026

A report out of the supply chain is again trying to pin down the release time frame of a micro LED Apple Watch, with analysts now guessing at a 2026 arrival.

The information predicting a 2026 arrival for a micro LED Apple Watch comes courtesy of TrendForce's Senior Research Vice President, Eric Chiou. In a seminar in Japan, he predicted that the Apple Watch screen would use a larger micro LED display, coming in a 2.12 inches diagonally.

This display size puts it more in line with Apple Watch Ultra, than the existing Apple Watch.

MicroLED technology is an improvement over OLED, providing a greater pixel density on the small display. MicroLED has advantages such as higher brightness and sharper images compared to OLED.

Although both OLED and MicroLED can achieve extreme local dimming and almost infinite contrast, a MicroLED panel will have greater control over the displayed content. For example, Apple Watch users with a MicroLED display could see sharper text, brighter displays in the sun, and a reduced chance for burn-in, which sometimes happens with OLED displays.

It's not clear if this rumor is based on anything new, or the existing rumors about the device. The 2026 arrival has been previously guessed, and so has the display size.

The rumor mill has gone back and forth on timetable of this particular product. This is another Apple product where the final release always seems to be two years out.

Previous rumor reports have pointed to a 2025 release slipping into early 2026. However, initial 2023 rumors forecast a 2024 release that itself slipped into 2025, making pinning down timings for the display change a little tough.

The most recent rumor before Friday's report puts arrival of the micro LED model in 2025.