For tech enthusiasts eagerly awaiting a revolution in wearable displays, the tantalizing promise of an Apple MicroLED Watch Ultra has been a source of both excitement and speculation.
MicroLED technology boasts exceptional brightness, vivid colors, unparalleled energy efficiency, and the potential to reshape the landscape of smartwatches.
However, recent news suggests that the path toward a MicroLED Apple Watch Ultra might be rockier than anticipated.
Looks like MicroLED Watch Ultra has lost an important supplier
Display industry analyst Ross Young, a reliable source of insider information, recently revealed that Apple’s ambitious MicroLED Watch Ultra project has suffered a significant setback.
Kulicke & Soffa (KLIC) indicated that its Project W is canceled, taking at least $110M in charges. Apple no longer has to worry about transferring microLEDs which is bad news for KLIC.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) March 12, 2024
An SEC filing by Kulicke & Soffa, a manufacturing equipment company, sheds light on a canceled “Project W” by one of its key customers.
While not officially confirmed, this mysterious project is widely believed to be the codename for the MicroLED Watch Ultra initiative.
“Previously referred to as Project W, the Company has been engaged with one of its strategic customers (the “Customer”) to support the Customer with the development and future mass production of certain technologies relating to advanced display (the “Project”). In connection with the Customer’s strategic review of its business, the Customer has informed the Company that it has cancelled the Project”.
– Kulicke & Soffa’s SEC filing
The experts weigh in
The recent supplier news has prompted a wave of speculation and analysis within the tech community. While respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests the MicroLED Watch Ultra project might be shelved indefinitely, other sources like Mark Gurman from Bloomberg remain cautiously optimistic. They suggest Apple may be actively seeking alternative suppliers in an effort to keep the dream alive.
See Ming-Chi Kuo‘s post on X below.
Apple Micro LED update:
1. My latest survey indicates that Apple has canceled the Micro LED Apple Watch projects because Apple thinks that Micro LED can’t add significant value to this product, and the production costs are too high to make it economically viable.
2. Apple has…
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 1, 2024
The future is uncertain, yet hopeful
While the recent news is a disheartening blow for those anticipating a groundbreaking MicroLED Watch Ultra, it’s too early to write the technology’s obituary.
Should Apple or another major player find solutions to the production challenges, MicroLED could still have a revolutionary impact on wearables and displays in general.
After all, the Apple EV project was also canceled, but the Xiaomi EV has already hit the roads and technology is not dependent on a single brand’s moves.
Featured image credit: Brandon Romanchuk/Unsplash.
