Budget Apple Vision Pro could be slimmer and brighter

Apple is still deciding on the displays for its expected lower-cost Apple Vision Pro, but is close to settling on a lower resolution screen that is brighter and also thinner than in the current headset.

Back in 2023, it was believed that a future variation of the Apple Vision Pro would get a brighter display than the original model. Then in June 2024, Apple was reported to be looking to add component suppliers for that new headset.

Now according to The Elec, Apple has two choices regarding the displays, and has a preference for one that would be slimmer than the display technology in the current Apple Vision Pro. Both options relate to how a color filter can be added to an OLED panel, but one requires a second layer.

Apple's preference is reportedly for an OLED display glass panel where the red, green, and blue color filter is deposited atop it. This is called W-OLED+CF, which is the technology previously said to bring a brighter display to a future Apple Vision Pro.

It's claimed that Apple is aiming for a resolution of 1,500ppi for the new display. That compares to the current approximately 3,391ppi of the first Apple Vision Pro.

However, forming the color filter atop the OLED display requires a complex and low-temperature process.

Samsung is developing panels for Apple Vision Pro

Samsung is using the method on its foldable phones, but Apple's displays would have more than three times the resolution of those.

Nonetheless, it's likely that Samsung will develop the W-OLED+CF panel for Apple. It is said to be planning to install research equipment to help with development.

Samsung has previously been reported to be aiming to supply Apple with this technology. Specifically, while the current Apple Vision Pro's OLEDoS (OLED on Silicon) display panels use a form of W-OLED+CF, Samsung has a process to incorporate RGB pixels right into the panel.

The alternative display method, which is seemingly not completely ruled out, involves two glass boards. The color filter would be applied to one, while W-OLED would be deposited on the second.

This would necessarily mean the display of the future Apple Vision Pro being thicker than with the W-OLED+CF method.

Separately, it was claimed in September 2024 that Apple was already switching to OLED on Silicon technology. It was claimed that Japan Display Inc (JDI) had delivered such a glass-based OLED panel for Apple's consideration.