In 2014, Apple had quietly acquired a company called LuxVue that was working on lo-Waller MicroLED display technology. Bloomberg now reported that the development of MicrLED display technology continued on and that Apple is making “significant investment” in the technology. The plan is for Apple to include it in their devices like the iPhone or Apple Watch in the next few years.
Much like OLED, MicroLED hasn’t seen much market expansion just yet. Apple currently uses OLED in Apple Watch and now the iPhone X. For MicroLED tech, it doesn’t require a backlight, so it could provide better contrast while using less power at the same time. In August, Samsung is planning to release its The Wall modular television that’s built with MicroLED tech.
Rumor has it, Apple made its first MciroLED prototype last year, and the device has previously been reported as an initial target for the introduction of technology. The “T159” project is where engineers are working on design and production, and takes place inside a large manufacturing facility in Santa Clara. Apple is looking to replace technology designed by competitors like LG and Samsung with its own, much like how it did with the custom-designed processes used in its mobile devices.
