Apple Glasses, or Apple’s rumored pair of mixed reality lenses, may feature exclusive micro OLED screens made in collaboration with the company’s longtime disc supplier.
According to a new report from Nikkei Asia, Apple and TSMC are working together on micro-OLED screens, which are ‘much thinner and smaller’ than the OLED panels found on smartphones or TVs. The micro-OLED technology also requires less power, making it ‘more suitable for use’ on a portable device such as AR glasses.
Not to be confused with the microLED TV technology that is pulling in the home entertainment space, micro OLEDs are built differently than existing LCD or OLED screens. It is designed on ultra-small wafer substrates, rather than glass plates preferred for larger screens.
Nikkei’s sources said that the technology is in the trial production stage and that the current prototypes are ‘less than an inch in size’, although the report does not elaborate on whether the measurement applies to the thickness.
What this means for the Apple Glasses release date
Creating a new kind of display is no easy task – which is why the sources also said that micro OLEDs will take several years to reach mass production for any Apple hardware.
Where’s the timeline for Apple Glasses? Well, if Apple is committed to putting on its first AR glasses with TSMC’s micro-OLED screens, most of the release dates we’ve seen so far are probably not based. Insider intel is posting the launch date anywhere from the spring of 2021 to the end of 2023.
That said, micro OLEDs could be planned for a next-generation Apple Glass model. The first generation can sooner start with a custom design as for example in this patent. Nikkei’s resources may also contain unreliable information. Although the site has set a proven track record, it’s always wise to record Apple Glass rumors with a grain of salt.
The companies are reportedly working out of a mysterious facility in Taiwan, where Apple moved at least a portion of its AirPods and Apple Watch production last year. It would make sense if Apple tested how its AR glasses function in relation to its headphones and wearables, but that’s just my curiosity at work.