Apple will develop a display that will aggressively develop the next generation of MicroLEDs

The iPhone X is Apple's first mobile phone with an OLED screen, and the screen of this phone is provided by Apple's competitor Samsung, but this situation may change in the future.

On March 19th, according to a report, Apple will independently design and produce its equipment display for the first time, using a secret facility near the California headquarters to produce a small number of screens for testing purposes.

Apple is hoping for a MicroLED screen, which is different from OLED. Its luminescent compound is expected to make future devices thinner, clearer and more energy efficient. Apple is currently investing in the next generation of MicroLED displays.

However, the production of MicroLED screens is much more difficult than OLEDs. People familiar with the matter said that Apple almost gave up the project about a year ago, but the engineers went on the progress and the project was further developed, but consumers may have to It will take several years to see the results of research and development.

People familiar with the matter said that the size of Apple's California factory could not meet the mass production requirements, but the company hopes that partners will not be allowed to acquire the technology in the short term. In the development stage, everything should be kept confidential.

iPhone's screen suppliers are from Samsung, Japan Display and LG Display, and Apple's own research and development of display components may turn these partners into competitors. But mastering MicroLED technology will also make Apple stand out in the increasingly mature smartphone market.

These people who asked for anonymity because of internal planning said that Apple is investing heavily in the development of the next-generation MicroLED display. The luminescent compounds used in MicroLEDs are different from current OLED displays and are expected to make future devices thinner, clearer and more energy efficient.

According to people familiar with the matter, the production of this kind of screen is much more difficult than the OLED display currently used. The company almost gave up the project about a year ago, but the engineers have made progress and the technology is now in the late stage, but consumption It may take a few more years to see the results.

This ambitious business is the latest example of Apple's internalization of key component designs. For several years, Apple has been independently developing chips that power mobile devices. In the long run, the development of displays may hurt a range of current suppliers, such as display manufacturers Samsung, Japan Display, Sharp and LG Display, and human-machine interface solution provider SynapTIcs. It may also hurt the leading OLED technology developer Universal Display Corp.

Mastering MicroLED technology will help Apple stand out in the increasingly mature smartphone market, surpassing rivals such as Samsung, which has a superb display. Ray Soneira, who runs screen test company DisplayMateTechnologies, said that for Apple, internal screen design is a "golden opportunity." “Everyone can buy an OLED or LCD screen,” he said. "But Apple can have a MicroLED."

It's not easy. Mass production of the new screen requires new production equipment. By the time this technology is ready, there may already be alternative technologies. Apple may encounter insurmountable obstacles to abandon or postpone the project. In addition, the investment in this project is also very high.

In the end, Apple may outsource the production of new screens to minimize the risk of production chaos. A person familiar with the matter said that the size of the California plant is not up to the mass production requirements, but the company would like to prevent partners from acquiring the patented technology for as long as possible. “We invested a lot of money in the factory,” the source said. “The scale of the factory is large enough to complete the engineering design. During the development phase, we have to keep everything confidential.”