Apple Watch Ultra 3 with MicroLED display could be delayed
It is widely expected that the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be launched with a microLED display. However, a new report from Korea now suggests that Apple has not secured the right resources in time to bring the device to market by 2026.
Last year, Taiwanese research firm TrendForce predicted a 2026 timeframe for the launch of the Apple Watch Ultra 3. That’s later than several other sources, which predicted 2025. However, according to today’s report from The Elec, there are still issues with high manufacturing costs and production yields. And both factors are major obstacles to the mass production of the microLED Apple Watch Ultra. So big, apparently, that the market launch could even be delayed beyond 2026.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 with 2.12 inch display
Apple has reportedly been working on a special microLED display technology for almost a decade. The advanced display offers improved brightness, color reproduction, dynamics, viewing angles and efficiency. Images look more like they have been “painted” onto the display glass. The current Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a display size of 1.93 inches. The upcoming microLED model should get a 2.12-inch screen.
Apple’s problem is that the cost of producing a display with such a high pixel density is still considered too high. At least for a device that currently sells for $799 in the US. According to the report, simulation results show that a 2.12-inch screen costs up to $150. That’s four times the cost of manufacturing the existing OLED display for $38.
By comparison, products with a panel price of $150 typically sell for around $1,500. 150 is more expensive than the manufacturing cost of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus OLED displays, which are $80 and $120 respectively. Based on the current cost of the panel, the microLED Apple Watch Ultra would be more expensive than Apple’s latest premium iPhones. According to today’s report, the issue is so problematic that even a release of the device in 2027 could be difficult.
Apple is reportedly planning to replace all existing LCD, OLED and mini-LED panels with microLED in the long term. The technology is to be extended from the Apple Watch to the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro headset. The project is part of Apple’s plan to reduce its dependence on Samsung as a supplier. At the same time Apple wants to benefit from the advantages of its own display development. But if the company can’t get everything in the supply chain under one roof, the introduction of microLED could still be a long way off.
