Future AR glasses, Apple Watch may get microLED screens

Despite claims to the contrary, Apple is said to be still planning the use of microLED in future products such as the Apple Watch Ultra and a rumored follow-on to the Apple Vision Pro.

The report suggests that Apple's alleged AR glasses using microLED screens will enter mass production sometime in 2026. It also says that a plan to use microLED in a future Apple Watch Ultra will also happen in 2026.

Given that the regular Apple Watch was updated to Series 10 in September 2024, it would seem more likely that an Apple Watch Ultra Series 3 could arrive at some point in late 2025.

Apple launched the original Apple Watch Ultra in September of 2022, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in September of 2023. For September 2024, the company opted to offer a new black color option to the current model.

Apple has not given up on Micro LED technology.

1. They are preparing Micro LED for AR glasses, with mass production expected in 2026.

2. The plan to include Micro LED in the Apple Watch Ultra is also still in place, with a target launch in 2026.
— Jukanlosreve (@Jukanlosreve) October 5, 2024

Apple and microLED technology

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in March of 2024 that Apple had abandoned the idea of using a microLED display for a third series of Apple Watch Ultra, due to cost. One of the suppliers who Apple arranged for microLED production, LG Display, asked for compensation after the project was shelved.

MicroLED technology is similar to regular LEDs, but at the micron level. The advantage of microLED is that it could offer OLED-like contrast and brightness, but without requiring a backlight panel.

Instead, the microLEDs are used directly to make the picture. They are deposited in a pattern, with each able to display red, green, or blue light. This also eliminates the need for a color filtering layer.

Earlier reports quoting reliable sources like Ross Young supported the notion that the Apple Watch Ultra would gain a microLED-based display in 2025. This contradicted a claim from analyst Jeff Pu that the technology would arrive in 2024, which turned out to be incorrect.

The new claim stems from a recent account on X.com under the name "Jukanlosreve," who appears to be the same person who formerly posted leaks under the names "Revegnus" and "Tech_reve." Under the previous names, they have said that a second-generation Apple Vision Pro might launch in 2026 at half its current price, which is within the realm of plausible.

That said, they have also supported claims that Apple had abandoned its efforts to create an in-house 5G modem. The new modem is now expected to debut in the next edition of the iPhone SE.

In addition, their initial prediction for the Apple Vision Pro was that Apple would sell a million units of the AR/VR headset in 2024. Currently, the Apple Vision Pro is estimated to have sold around half that number of units.