Apple’s plans for in-house made Apple Watch displays using microLED tech has been axed, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
The reason for the project cancellation? Sources claim it was due to high cost and complexity with the plan. The result now is Apple reorganizing its display engineering teams and also cutting jobs in the U.S and Asia.
Apple typically relied on partners like LG Display and Samsung SDI for Apple Watch display designs, but instead wanted to design the tech itself. MicroLED screens use less power, offering more accurate colours and allow for thinner devices, all within Apple’s ambitions for next-gen improvements.
Gurman writes the in-house plan was started roughly seven years ago and was codenamed T159, starting with the hardware engineering teams before switching to the hardware technologies division.
Apple build its own display manufacturing facility in Santa Clara, California to develop and test these microLED screens. There will be job cuts at this location as a result of the project termination. Apple apparently believes OLED displays are the way to go for Apple Watch now, says sources, but microLED might appear for future projects.
Last month, Apple cancelled its self-driving car plans altogether, after spending $1 billion on the ambitious project.
