Apple Taps Samsung Display to Supply Micro OLED Panels for Future AR/VR Headsets

Apple has asked Samsung Display to develop micro OLED panels in an effort to diversify its supply ahead of next year's launch of its widely rumored AR/VR glasses, claims a new report.

apple ar headset concept 1
According to The Elec, Samsung Display has received requests from several of its customers to start developing the microdisplays, including Apple, Meta, and its parent company, Samsung.

Samsung Display is said to have avoided developing the panels so far because of their expected low profitability, but micro LED appears set to become a key technology in the nascent AR/VR headset market as multiple companies gear up to launch rival products.

Micro OLED displays are built directly onto chip wafers rather than a glass substrate, which results in displays that are thinner, smaller, and more power efficient. They allow for pixel sizes in the range of four to 20 micrometers, compared to 40 to 300 micrometers with standard OLED panels, plus they have a faster microseconds response time, making them ideal for AR/VR applications.

Rumors suggest Apple's AR/VR headset will have two to three displays, with at least two being high-resolution 4K micro OLED displays with up to 3,000 pixels per inch. Sony is expected to supply the display modules that Apple will use, although today's report claims LG Display is also in the running to supply Apple with micro LED panels next year.

Samsung Display will reportedly supply a conventional OLED panel for the device, perhaps for peripheral vision where a lower resolution would be acceptable. Samsung Display will then attempt to supply micro LED panels for the second-generation device.

Apple's first headset is expected to be unveiled at a special event in January 2023, while the follow-up device, likely featuring a more high-end configuration and a new affordable option, is expected to launch in 2025, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

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Top Rated Comments

svish Avatar
36 months ago
Good to see Samsung involved in the AR/VR devices. Samsung displays are great.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bradman83 Avatar
36 months ago

Samsung is probably doing this for less profits than it normally gets, just to have inside knowledge of the system so they can eventually create a copy cat one. Apple thought it had patented the iPhone and that simply was not enough for others to create entire industries from their ideas.
Samsung is a sprawling business and their consumer electronics divisions are separate business units from their electronic components. Apple has been a customer of Samsung for display panels on iPhones and iPads for years. These types of deals are protected by strict non-disclosure agreements. If it were Huawei or Xiaomi the concerns would be more warranted.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DocMultimedia Avatar
36 months ago
AR/VR... Next month the rumors will say possibly delayed to June 2023. Then October 2023. Then January 2024...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SFjohn Avatar
36 months ago

This thing better have USB-C charging, or I'm going to lose my mind. My deep hatred of the lightning port grows stronger every day.
So many pepole with port fetishes… ?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reyesmac Avatar
36 months ago
Samsung is probably doing this for less profits than it normally gets, just to have inside knowledge of the system so they can eventually create a copy cat one. Apple thought it had patented the iPhone and that simply was not enough for others to create entire industries from their ideas.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SoldOnApple Avatar
36 months ago
I own an iPad Pro, but I also own three Samsung S7 LE's because I had a very specific business use that requires scanning documents to PDF directly into the Google Drive app, which for some reason isn't supported on the iOS version of Google Drive. I wish it was supported though because the S7 LE cost more than the iPad and it feels like it runs twice as slow and the Google apps crash much more often.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)