Test models will be released in 2025
Haitong International analyst Jeff Pu, citing his sources, said that Apple will release the first Apple Watch equipped with a microLED screen in the fall of 2025, with mass production expected to begin in early 2026.
Jeff Pu predicts that the Apple Watch Ultra will be the first watch to feature a microLED screen. Additionally, Apple plans to upgrade the display of the Apple Vision Pro headset from micro OLED to microLED material.
Research firm TrendForce also believes that Apple is developing a next-generation Apple Watch Ultra smartwatch with a microLED display. However, due to production problems, the device’s release has been delayed again.
Mass production of the new Apple Watch will begin only in 2026
The Apple Watch Ultra is expected to be the first Apple device to use a microLED display. The current Apple Watch Ultra uses standard OLED technology, but microLED offers many of the benefits of OLED, plus some improvements.
Compared to LED displays, micro-LEDs are more energy efficient and could significantly extend the battery life of Apple Watch Ultra smartwatches and other future devices using this technology. And unlike OLED, microLED has virtually no risk of screen burn-in. microLED has a longer potential lifespan. MicroLED displays also offer better contrast and faster response times.
