A Apple ended the project to develop MicroLED screens internally for use on Apple Watch Ultra. According to analyst Mark Gurman, just as in the case of the electric car, the Cupertino company invested billions of dollars in the initiative, but that was not enough.
Sources working with Apple say, on condition of anonymity, that MicroLED remains too expensive a technology to be used in a smart watch. This is because the final price of the device would have to increase significantly to make the operation sustainable.
With the end of the project, Apple reportedly began laying off employees in the United States and Asia, with some other collaborators on the MicroLED project being transferred to the company's various departments.
Gurman also said that several Apple suppliers began to be alerted about the cancellation of the project in February this year.
Shortly thereafter, Ming-Chi Kuo and DSCC published an analysis of the situation, showing that Apple had indeed “thrown in the towel.”
Therefore, the tendency is for Apple to maintain OLED screens on the Apple Watch for longer, as it waits for a supplier to make progress and manage to reduce the costs of MicroLED.
Therefore, rumors about Samsung developing MicroLED screens for the Galaxy Watch are “hope” for the Cupertino company. This is because Samsung Display is Apple's main partner in this market.
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