Apple is considering a big transition in display technology from Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) to microLED display for its watch models starting from 2024. It is planning to gradually shift to microLED to its other devices including iPhones and Macs.
MicroLEDs are self-illuminating diodes that have brighter and better colour reproduction than OLED display technology. Based on self-illuminating pixels, microLED displays its own light source which turns on or off as required. This helps in producing better contrast. A black pixel on the screen means that a pixel is turned off and there is no light.
MicroLED Display Technology
As per Samsung, the pioneer in microLED technology, this LED is as small as cutting a centimetre of hair into 200 smaller pieces, each of which is a semiconductor that receives electric signals. MicroLEDs gather together to form a module and several modules put together form screens.
This technology would help display to produce brighter and higher-contrast images that are not possible with other known technologies. This is based on technology sapphires which can shine on its own for ever. The screen is filled with such small but strong light and the picture is generated by several individual light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Unlike OLED displays, microLED displays use inorganic material, gallium nitride (GaN), which also brings in the advantages of ultra-low black levels, but with higher peak brightness. Generally, mainstream LED panels are in fact LED panels with LED-based back or edge lighting. MicroLED panels do not need such backlighting. It means blacks are darker and whites are brighter without the light bleed, associated generally with most LED-backlit TVS.
Way Forward
This technology has the potential to compete with the OLED and can even outperform it. Consumers would see the same black lends with greater brightness, lower power consumption, and a longer lifespan.
The company has also customised the displays for its upcoming headset, with a technology similar to microLED screens coming to the Apple Watch. Apple may take years to move the iPhone to microLED. Apple plans to bring OLED technology to the iPad with the Pro model in 2024.
MicroLED display technology has meticulously defined its advantages in large formats, such as TVs. Adopting this in smaller items such as smartwatches and phones would require time and patience.
Benefits of MicroLED over Other Displays
MicroLED displays are brighter, have better colour reproduction, and they provide better viewing angles. This makes images appear like painting on the device’s glass. MicroLEDs have limitless scalability, because they are resolution-free, bezel-free, ratio-free, and even size-free. For practical usage, the screen could be resized freely. Besides, microLEDs individually produce red, green, and blue colours without needing the same backlighting or colour filters as used in conventional displays. MicroLED displays could reach up to 4,000 nits. A nit is a unit of measurement for brightness of peak brightness which is roughly double of what the best OLED and LCD televisions are capable of. Nit is an informal way of saying candela per square metre.
Challenges of MicroLED Technology Displays
Apple has been working on this technology since 2014, when it purchased a startup, LuxVue, Ltd, which had been pioneering in this technology. Apple planned to start its transition to microLED screens as early as 2020. However, there are certain challenges with microLED displays such as its higher costs and technical difficulties. Therefore, the target might be extended from 2024 to 2025. Initially, the company would be able to offer only a limited supply of the new devices.
MicroLED vs. OLED
MicroLED has a contrast ratio of 1,00,00,00:1 and can illuminate far brighter than OLED displays. Though OLED panels are improving, the peak brightness levels are limited compared to other LED panels, MicroLED displays remain brighter for a longer period whereas OLED panels diminishes if the screen is very bright for too long.
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