Bloomberg has reported that Apple has moved some of its microLED technology development work to a ‘secret’ (well, not any more!) facility in Santa Clara near its HQ in Cupertino. in California.
The report said that Apple nearly killed the project in 2017, but is still some way from volume production and Bloomberg believes that it will rely on others to supply volume manufacturing. Bloomberg said that the project is code-named T159 and is run by Lynn Youngs, an Apple executive with responsibility for displays in the iPhone and Apple Watch.
The facility is separate from a location used for developing the transfer technology for the microLEDs – technology that Apple acquired with Luxvue. Bloomberg also reported that Apple made some functional prototype Apple Watch displays using microLEDs at the end of 2017, although they have not been made into complete watches. They are reported to have more brightness and wider tunability. Backplanes for the displays are being developed at Apple’s display facility in Taiwan. (Apple Reported to Have Downsized its Micro-LED R&D Team in Taiwan)
Analyst Comment
The news sent shares tumbling in a number of suppliers, including UDC and Synaptics. (BR)
MicroLEDs – Image:LG Display
