Apple Supplier LG Invests in MicroLED Patents for Apple Watch Ultra Displays

Apple supplier LG has reportedly purchased multiple patents that could help it produce the displays for Apple's rumored next-generation Apple Watch Ultra model with a microLED display.

apple watch ultra 1 1
The Elec reports that the patents purchased from a Taiwanese company have to do with the "transfer printing process" in microLED, as well as microLED technologies related to stacking, touch control sensing, AR, VR, and HUD.

The transfer printing process is said to be one of the most challenging aspects of the technology because the process involves planting chips that are a few micrometers (μm) to several dozen nanometers in size into their correct positions.

The small size of the chips makes execution difficult, while the low yield of the transcription process requires a repair process to replace defective microLEDs, all of which leads to higher costs.

Despite this, LG's purchase of the microLED patents is said to be a reflection of its willingness to improve the profitability of microLED production. LG is already constructing a small production line to supply Apple with microLED displays destined for an Apple Watch model. Opening in the second half of 2024, the facility will reportedly supply microLED backplanes and assemble Apple's displays.

Information shared in April by display analyst Ross Young suggested that an Apple Watch Ultra with microLED display would launch in the second half of 2025 at the earliest, rather than late 2024 as was originally rumored.

However, a July report by TrendForce claims it has been postponed for a second time and is unlikely to emerge before the first quarter of 2026, due to problems relating to high manufacturing costs which need to be solved before Apple can proceed to mass production.

The current ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ uses standard OLED technology, whereas microLED offers many of the benefits of OLED along with some improvements.

Compared to LED displays, microLED is much more energy efficient and it would likely notably increase battery life on the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ and other devices that adopt the technology in the future. Unlike OLED, there's much less risk of screen burn-in, and microLEDs have a longer potential lifetime.

MicroLED displays also provide contrast improvements and faster response times because of the pixel-level individual lights, plus the color is better and brighter. In a nutshell, it's a next-generation technology superior to OLED and miniLED.

The ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ is expected to be the first Apple device to adopt a microLED display, due to the small screen and pixel density of smartwatches. Apple is said to be planning to adopt the technology in smartphones, AR devices, and other devices in the future.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra 2
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Supports 8K Video Recording, Suggests Leaker [Updated]

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Update 7:25 pm: Based on comments from our forums, it appears the original Weibo post may have been mistranslated and "8K" actually refers to the high price of the device rather than 8K video recording capabilities. The iPhone 16 Pro currently starts at 7,999 yuan in China. Our original article follows below. Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are capable of shooting 8K video, up...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

Gurman: Jon Prosser's iOS 19 Mockups 'Aren't Representative' of Redesign

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:47 pm PDT by
The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on social media. According to Gurman, the images that are "floating around" are based on "very old builds" or "vague descriptions," and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can "expect more from Apple in June." Gurman made the same comment ...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...

Top Rated Comments

Leon Ze Professional Avatar
21 months ago
"Compared to LED displays, microLED is much more energy efficient and it would likely notably increase battery life on the ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌"

"Unlike OLED, there's much less risk of screen burn-in, and microLEDs have a longer potential lifetime."

"MicroLED displays also provide contrast improvements and faster response times because of the pixel-level individual lights, plus the color is better and brighter."

The three points above highlight why MicroLED is the holy grail of screen technology. Make it happen, Apple!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
21 months ago
Looks like MicroLED is the future in the Apple Products line up.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darngooddesign Avatar
21 months ago

If I bought an OG Ultra I'd be pissed rn
The article says that it may not be out till 2026 or later due to production cost issues, so people who already bought an Ultra get to enjoy it for three or four years before it has a MicroLED screen.

So why would they be mad?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5105973 Avatar
21 months ago
I can’t wait! My ankle is ready!

(Since it’s too danged big for my wrist)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Strigoi Avatar
21 months ago

If I bought an OG Ultra I'd be pissed rn
Yeah, I’m still so pissed that I bought a CRT monitor back in the days. When they knew LED and eventually microLED would be a thing ;)

Anyhow. My thanks to all the early adapters for making the next version possible! I can’t wait for microLED to become the default screen tech.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
StyxMaker Avatar
21 months ago
If you want an Ultra I would not hold off. 2026 arrives and it could be delayed another few years.
I’m 73, my entire life the ‘experts’ have been saying commercial fusion power was only twenty years away. Some things never come when they re expected. I never worry about the great technology that’s ’right around the corner’ when it’s time to buy a product.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)