Apple to develop micro OLED screens for its AR glasses

Like rumors about Apple’s augmented reality efforts Continuing to heat up, a new report claims that Apple has partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to develop and produce sophisticated micro OLED displays for use in future AR headphones.

According to Nikkei Asia, Apple is deepening its relationship with TSMC – the manufacturer responsible for making the A and M series chips used in new iPhones and Macs – to produce micro OLED displays designed for use in AR devices.

A source with information on Apple’s micro OLED efforts told Nikkei Asia that the reason Apple chose TSMC over a traditional display maker like Samsung or LG is because “pAnel readers are good at making screens bigger and bigger, but when it comes to thin and light devices like AR glasses, you need a really small screen. Apple partners with TSMC to develop the technology, as the chipmaker’s expertise makes things ultra-small and good, while Apple also leverages the panel’s expertise in display technology. . “

It It looks like TSMC will use some of its existing chip manufacturing to start early production of these displays, while working on building additional production lines with Apple, which has a research lab in Taoyuan, Taiwan (minutes from TSMC’s advanced chip conditioning and testing facility).

The Nikkei Asia source claims that Apple’s micro OLED project has now reached the test production stage, with full mass production within a few years. This would suggest that despite rumors claiming that Apple might release some sort of AR headset in late 2021 or 2202, Apple’s big push into AR / VR won’t happen until around 2023 or later.

When it comes to AR devices, micro OLED is considered one of the next big technological advancements over the OLED and LCD displays used in current devices. The big advantage of micro OLED is that diodes can be built directly onto silicon wafers, instead of requiring an additional glass or plastic substrate, resulting in reduced thickness and increased energy efficiency.

However, it looks like Apple is still trying to decide on the final form of this one.s possible rear helmet. Recent reports says Apple is testing several designs for separate AR and VR glasses, with the latter likely to include two 8K displays.

Yet before Apple can release a headset to the general public, it must first understand its technology, which appears to be exactly what Apple is doing by strengthening its partnership with TSMC.