LG, a pioneer in the development of new display technologies and manufacturing, is expected to begin producing MicroOLED displays soon in order to supply them for Apple’s upcoming mixed reality (MR) headsets. According to the Elec publication, LG is planning to order deposition equipment from Sunic System to manufacture MicroOLED.
The report further suggests that Apple will use Sony’s MicroOLED panel for the screen on its first MR device, while LG Display will provide the outer screen, or “indicator,” which will be a regular OLED panel. With Sony’s expected entry into the market for mixed reality headsets (through PlayStation), Apple may borrow displays from LG, which could bring the company a lot of money.
If you’re unaware of this MicroOLED tech, it’s basically an OLED that will be mounted on a silicon substrate, unlike conventional panels that mount them on glasses. Hence, LG would require new equipment to do so. This MicroOLED is also called OLED on Silicon, or OLEDoS, and is expected to be used more widely for virtual, augmented, and mixed reality devices.
According to recent rumors, Apple will enter the MR/VR headset space in 2023. Earlier rumours revealed Apple is planning for AR glasses in 2025. Both these are said to feature 8K displays. As a result, current display manufacturers are preparing to adopt and supply future headsets. It will be interesting to see how MicroOLED display manufacturers progress and which company Apple chooses to supply displays for their MR/AR headsets.