Apple has depended less and less on suppliers throughout its history, becoming responsible for the manufacture of its components itself. Its own chips, its own modems… and now it looks like a major step is about to be taken with Apple making its own screens.
Nikkei Asia reports that after investing $1 billion over a decade, Apple may move to produce your own MicroLED screens in order to no longer depend on suppliers like Samsung. It will do so for now by collaborating with LG and TSMC among others, from its research and development complex in Taiwan.
The definitive screen, for its quality and for being “made in Apple”
In Cupertino, they have always depended on other manufacturers for the screens of their devices, which sometimes caused real logistical nightmares for Tim Cook. Starting to take steps to produce these displays may be the key to better controlling new product development in the future.
However, MicroLED technology is expensive and its manufacturing process is very complicated. So at Apple they would start with restricted postings (like that of the Apple Watch Ultra) to then move on to those of the iPhone, the iPad and finally those of the Mac. Due to their quality, the first ranges that would include these MicroLED tiles would be the professional ones. Currently, OLED or LCD panels predominate in most portable devices.
What is MicroLED and what is the difference with OLED screens
Without going into technical details, OLED and MicroLED screens have the advantage that each of their pixels can emit its own light, thus allowing good color contrast and true black colors. But since they’re not organic like OLEDs, MicroLED pixels can be put under more stress and therefore emit more brightness.
Additionally, at the professional level, MicroLED panels can be sold in a modular fashion so that someone can assemble the right size screen based on their needs and the moment. In a few years, we should see MicroLED TVs geared more towards the home market, once the technology becomes popular.
We expect to see the first Apple Watches with MicroLED panels in 2025, and that would be just the first step. It would take years for the rest of Apple devices to adopt this technology. Patience.
Picture | michael maasen
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