In 2014, Apple acquired LuxVue who was developing a new self-emitting display technology dubbed microLED, which has the potential to challenge OLED. Apple will start trial production of microLED later this year, according to a report by Digitimes.
microLED: A new display technology
microLED – or µLED – is exactly what the name implies; tiny light emitting diodes small enough to be pixels in a display. Every pixel can generate light, similar to OLED, and the companies involved believe that the technology can eventually challenge OLED.
Apple and Oculus have both acquired companies involved in microLED research and development. A few years ago, Sony showcased a ‘Crystal LED’ prototype that is based on the concept, which has later become ‘CLEDIS’, and Samsung is said to also be interested. Foxconn/Sharp recently acquired microLED company eLux.
Apple is, according to Digitmes, planning to start trial production of microLED displays in the second half of 2017 in collaboration with a company called PlayNitride. The Taiwanese company says that it expects commercial products to be available by 2019 at the earliest.
- “Apple has been keen in the development of micro LED technology following its acquisition of LuxVue in 2014, and recent market speculations also indicate that Apple is likely to crank out a small volume of micro LED display products from its plant in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan at the end of the year,” Digitimes reported.
Also read: An introduction to MicroLED; a new self-emitting display technology
Sources in Taiwan also claim that Apple has considered switching from OLED technology to microLED in Apple Watch.
- Source: Digitimes.
