Report: microLED Apple Watch set for 2025 launch

Reliable display analyst Ross Young reports that the upcoming microLED Apple Watch is expected to be released in spring 2025, as the production on the panels for this device is set to start at the end of 2024.

Young’s report was shared with his Super Follow list on Twitter (via 9to5Mac). This comes a week after analyst Jeff Pu said Apple is planning to increase the screen size of the Apple Watch Ultra next year while also adding a new technology, the microLED.

Young’s prediction is less aggressive than the one shared by Pu. According to the Haitong Intl Tech Research analyst, Apple wants to bring a microLED Apple Watch Ultra with a 2.1-inch display, up from 1.93-inch on the current mode, with higher brightness levels and higher color accuracy.

While the Apple Watch is the product that usually starts new display technologies – it was the first Apple product to embrace OLED – it’s safer to believe the analysis made by Ross Young, which works with the display industry.

It’s important to note that Young doesn’t say what Apple Watch model will feature microLED technology, but it makes sense if the Cupertino firm keeps this display for the high-end Apple Watch model. Another thing to keep an eye on is the release schedule, as Apple doesn’t release new Watches during the spring but in the fall. It’s unclear if the company plans to change its schedule for the 2025 Apple Watch Ultra.

Rumors about Apple working on microLED technology aren’t new. The Elec, for example, says Apple is slowly transitioning through four types of display technology for its products. It started with IPS LCD, then IPS LCD with miniLED backlighting (available with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and 14- and 16-inches MacBook Pro), and, shortly, OLED. Then, Apple will switch to microLED. 

For 2023, rumors about new features to Apple Watch models are still sparse. Apple is working on blood glucose level and blood pressure sensors, but it’s unclear whether these features will land this year or need a few more years of development. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman believes this will be another mild year for Apple’s smartwatch lineup, apart from a new, faster processor.