These insiders, who asked not to be named for discussing internal planning, said that Apple is investing heavily in the development of the next generation of MicroLED displays. The light-emitting compounds used in micro light-emitting diodes are different from the current organic light-emitting diode displays, and it is expected that the future equipment will be thinner, clearer and more energy-saving.
According to people familiar with the matter, the production of this kind of screen is much more difficult than the organic light-emitting diode display currently used. About a year ago, the company almost gave up the project, but the engineers made progress later. This technology has now entered an advanced stage, but consumers may have to wait for several years to see the results.
This ambitious undertaking is the latest example of Apple internalizing the design of key components. For several years, Apple has been independently developing chips for mobile devices. In the long run, the research and development of monitors may hurt a series of current suppliers, such as Samsung, Japanese monitors, Sharp and LG monitors, and Synaptics, a provider of human-computer interface solutions. This may also hurt Global Display, a leading technology developer of organic light-emitting diodes.
Controlling MicroLED technology will help Apple stand out in the increasingly mature smartphone market, surpassing competitors such as Samsung, which has excellent display screens. Ray Soneira, the head of screen testing company DisplayMateTechnologies, said that for Apple, internal screen design is a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". "Everyone can buy an organic light-emitting diode or an LCD screen," he said. "But Apple can have MicroLED."
None of this is easy. The mass production of new screens requires new production equipment. By the time this technology is ready, there may already be other alternative technologies. Apple may encounter insurmountable obstacles and give up or postpone this project. In addition, the investment of this project is also very high.
In the end, Apple may outsource the production of new screens to minimize the risk of production chaos to its profits. A person familiar with the matter said that the scale of the California factory could not meet the mass production requirements, but the company would like to prevent its partners from obtaining this patented technology for as long as possible. "We have invested a lot of money in this factory," the person said. "The factory is big enough to complete the engineering design. In the development stage, we must keep everything confidential. "