07.04.2023
Apple is known to be working on an updated version of the Apple Watch Ultra that uses a next-generation microLED display, but the device has again been postponed due to

Information shared in April by display analyst Ross Young suggested that an Apple Watch Ultra with microLED display would launch in the second half of 2025 at the earliest, rather than late 2024 as was originally rumored.
Now, Trendforce believes it has been postponed for a second time and is unlikely to emerge before the first quarter of 2026, because of problems relating to high manufacturing costs which need to be solved before Apple can proceed to mass production.
Apple has reportedly invested more than $1 billion on in-house microLED development over the past decade to reduce its dependence on Samsung Display and tighten control over the supply of key components in the display panel sector.
The Apple Watch Ultra is expected to be the first Apple device to adopt a microLED display. The current Apple Watch Ultra uses standard OLED technology, whereas MicroLED offers many of the benefits of OLED along with some improvements.
Compared to LED displays, microLED is much more energy efficient and it would likely notably increase battery life on the Apple Watch Ultra and other devices that adopt the technology in the future. Unlike OLED, there's much less risk of screen burn-in, and microLEDs have a longer potential lifetime.
MicroLED displays also provide contrast improvements and faster response times because of the pixel-level individual lights, plus the color is better and brighter. In a nutshell, it's a next-generation technology superior to OLED and miniLED.
Apple is already testing microLED displays for the Apple Watch, and the displays are said to feature brighter, more vibrant colors and a look like content is "painted on top of the glass." Apple is planning to bring the technology to the iPhone and other devices in the future.
As with all early rumors about devices that are a year or two or more out, they can be unreliable in terms of launch timing, as Apple often has to push back its release dates due to delays in design, component sourcing, manufacturing, and more.
Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra
Tags: The Elec, microLED Apple Watch
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch Ultra (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Watch
This article, "MicroLED Apple Watch Ultra Now Rumored to Launch in 2026, Not 2025" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
You may also be interested in this
Color MagSafe chargers pr…
05.29.2023
Apple offers color-coded MagSafe cables, to match its MacBook finishes, and also tested out color MagSafe chargers, likely to match iPhone colors. However, while the company got as far as
Bolt brings iPhone tech t…
05.23.2024
Bolt Navigation has shrunk the use of a navigation system for spine surgery into an Apple iOS device, an iPhone, utilizing the gyroscope-on-chip technology to make spinal fusion cases more
App Store, Apple Music, a…
01.27.2024
The App Store, Mac App Store, Apple Music, subscription purchases, and AppleCare on Device are all experiencing an outage, according to Apple's System Status page. Apple says that the services
iOS 26 lets you watch vid…
06.12.2025
With an enhancement coming in iOS 26, drivers and passengers can watch AirPlay-streamed videos on CarPlay screens when the car is stationary. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for
Daily deals: $999 M2 MacB…
06.22.2023
Today's top deals include up to 65% off electric scooters, $45 off a Thule Gauntlet MacBook Pro sleeve, 43% off an Apple Watch Series 7, up to 92% off Samsung
Apple Promotes Beats Pill…
01.28.2025
Apple is continuing to promote the Beats Pill speaker, today sharing a new Valentine's Day-themed short ad that uses the cute anthropomorphized "Pill People" characters to highlight battery life. The
WWDC23 hashflag is live o…
05.31.2023
We’re only a few days away from WWDC 2023, which kicks off on June 5 with a grand opening keynote. As the company prepares for the event, it has launched
iPhones, Macs, and Other …
04.12.2025
Apple and other electronics manufacturers have received a break from Trump's reciprocal tariffs, with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency sharing a long list of products excluded from the