A South Korean website has apparently identified changes in Apple’s supply chain management for the OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) panel, which is a key component of the Vision Pro headset. Currently, Sony offers these high-resolution microdisplays, but with production capacity limited to 900,000 units per year and no expansion plans, Apple is considering alternatives for the future.
Apple has issued a request for information (RFI) to Samsung Display and LG Display to evaluate their ability to produce large OLEDOS panels ranging in size from 2.0 to 2.1 inches with a display density of approximately 1,700 pixels per inch (PPI).
These displays are larger and have lower resolution than the displays currently used in the Vision Pro. The Vision Pro uses a Sony OLEDOS panel with a white OLED display with color filter technology (wOLED+CF) and a 1.42-inch screen with a pixel density of approximately 3400 PPI. This advanced screen technology is one of the main reasons why the headset is so expensive.
At Displayweek 2024, Samsung and LG unveiled advances in OLED microdisplay technology that could be attractive to Apple. Samsung has announced a 1.03-inch RGB (direct emission) OLED microdisplay developed in collaboration with eMagin. This promises higher brightness values compared to the woLED+CF method. Meanwhile, LG introduced a 1.3-inch, 10,000 nits 4K OLED microdisplay that uses a microlens array (MLA) to boost brightness by about 40 percent.
Apple’s interest in larger, lower-resolution OLEDOS panels than those on the Vision Pro suggests that these panels may be aimed at a low-cost mixed reality headset. There have been rumors that Apple has been working on such a device for over a year, and the latest evidence suggests that it will be designed to connect to an iPhone or Mac, eliminating the need for expensive processors. Apple’s low-cost Vision headset could launch late next year.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
