Apple Scraps microLED Watch Ultra Project, Lays off Employees: Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple has lengthy been rumoured to be engaged on microLED shows for its flagship Watch Ultra smartwatch. Last month, studies mentioned that the Cupertino, California-based firm had delayed the Apple Watch Ultra with microLED show past 2026 over provide chain points. Now, the iPhone maker is alleged to have cancelled the mission altogether. According to a dependable analyst, Apple has deserted the mission because it struggled to make the product economically viable and has additionally laid off a number of folks from the event staff.

The info comes from TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claimed in a submit on X late Friday that Apple had scrapped the microLED Apple Watch Ultra mission. Apple was struggling to see how the high-end shows would carry worth to the watch as manufacturing prices on the mission stored climbing, Kuo mentioned. “… 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,” the analyst claimed.

Kuo additionally mentioned that Apple had laid off “many people” from the microLED growth staff. Apple has not confirmed the event and it’s unclear what number of staff have been laid off. “There’s currently no visibility on any Micro LED-related projects,” Kuo added.

The reported cancellation of the microLED Apple Watch Ultra mission, if true, would characterize yet one more blow to the corporate’s ambitions after Apple scrapped its decade-long electrical automobile mission earlier this week. “It’s undoubtedly a major setback for Apple, which hopes to own the next generation of display technology to make its products more competitive,” Kuo mentioned.

According to Kuo, Austrian producer asm-OSRAM was Apple’s unique LED chip provider for microLEDs. Now, with the mission cancelled, Apple doesn’t intend to fabricate microLED-equipped units within the foreseeable future, Kuo added.

An official replace from Osram additionally hints on the cancellation of the microLED Apple Watch mission. The firm mentioned in a press launch (as noticed by GSMArena) that it was reassessing its microLED technique after a “cornerstone project underpinning its microLED strategy got unexpectedly cancelled.”

Last month, a Korean publication reported that the Apple Watch with a microLED show had been delayed past 2026, with a 2027 launch additionally removed from sure. The report mentioned that Apple had not been in a position to finalise the part provide chain required to make microLED shows for the Watch Ultra.