Apple Watch Ultra
Apple will dump OLED display technology in favor of microLED in 2024 according to analyst Jeff Pu.
Pu predicted a couple of key 2024 releases for Apple according to Macrumors — the Apple Watch Ultra and a more affordable set of AirPods earphones.
However, the Watch Ultra is the more interesting of the two from a tech perspective.
The use of a microLED display panel can be seen as a natural development of Apple’s interest in miniLED. Panels of this type are used in the iPad Pro.
However, the two technologies are more different than they sound. Where miniLED uses a large number of backlight zones to provide OLED-like contrast, microLED has per-pixel lighting much like an OLED panel.
This is why it’s the only obvious technology that can outdo the OLED the current Apple Watch Ultra uses, at least for wearables. Per-pixel lighting is all-but-essential for a watch with an always-on display mode, and for making display elements sink into the black display backfround.
Jeff Pu says the Apple Watch Ultra’s microLED display will measure 2.1 inches across, compared to the 1.92 inches of the first Ultra. Consider how the standard Apple Watch line’s designs have progressed in previous generations and it seems likely this 2024 Ultra screen will reach further into the slight border visible in the current model.
The microLED panel is likely to offer significantly higher brightness than today’s OLED, but there’s a real question as to whether the watch actually needs any more power. Apple’s Watch Ultra is rated at 2000 nits brightness, exceptionally bright by the standards of consumer-grade TVs and phones.
microLED will also improve efficiency, and panel longevity, which will hopefully lead to noticeably longer battery life. And free the watch up to use higher brightness settings more readily while generating less heat.
Future Apple Airpods
Pu also mentions “AirPods Lite” earphones for a 2024 release.
Apple currently sells the AirPods Pro earphones at $249, and both the 3rd and 2nd generations of standard AirPods, for $129/$169 a pair.
The most meaningful way Apple could add to the line-up would be to release a more affordable earphone in the AirPods Pro mold — with an IEM ear-sealing tip rather than a largely non-isolating hard plastic outer.
Active noise cancellation could be dropped, letting Apple sell the pair at a lower price. Apple’s latest AirPods Pro earphones were roundly lauded for their high-quality sound, as well as their excellent ANC.
However, as these devices as pencilled in for 2024, and by no means confirmed at that, we have at least a year’s worth of Apple devices to see first.
