Tag: ultra
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MicroLED Apple Watch Ultra: All the Rumors So Far
This guide highlights everything we know about Apple’s work on a microLED watch and what Apple has in store for microLED in the future.
MicroLED Apple Watch Ultra
Introduced in 2022, the current Apple Watch Ultra uses standard OLED technology. MicroLED is, as the name suggests, LED display technology rather than OLED display technology, but it offers many of the benefits of OLED along with some improvements.
The microLED Apple Watch is expected to include a 2.1-inch diagonal display, but we aren’t aware of any other features that the device might get as of yet.
Apple is already testing microLED displays for the Apple Watch, and the displays are said to feature brighter, more vibrant colors and a look like content is “painted on top of the glass.”
It is unclear if Apple will update the Apple Watch Ultra prior to when it implements microLED, but given that we’re at least two years away from the new model, we could get an in-between update. That said, it isn’t yet known if Apple will update annually or if the Apple Watch Ultra will be more like the Apple Watch SE with occasional updates.
MicroLED Overview
MicroLED is a fairly new technology that’s been around for about two decades, but it has not yet been mass produced, because of the costs associated with it and the difficulty of making the displays. Samsung, for example, has made a microLED TV, but it sells for $150,000.
As the name suggests, microLED uses microscopic LEDs for individual pixels. The production process involves creating little tiny LEDs on a wafer and transferring them to a backplane, a process that hasn’t been perfected yet because of the time that it takes to test all of those LEDs. Since this is nascent technology, there are new cutting-edge production techniques in the works, and multiple companies are focused on figuring out microLED.
Compared to LED displays, microLED is much more energy efficient and it would likely notably increase battery life on the Apple Watch Ultra and other devices that adopt the technology in the future. Unlike OLED, there’s much less risk of screen burn-in, and microLEDs have a longer potential lifetime.
MicroLED displays also provide contrast improvements and faster response times because of the pixel-level individual lights, plus the color is better and brighter. In a nutshell, it’s a next-generation technology superior to OLED and miniLED.
Like OLED displays, microLED displays can be flexible, so if Apple eventually transitions to foldable devices, those products could use microLED. The technology would also work for curved displays.
Apple’s In-House Display Development
MicroLED is not like Apple’s other display technologies because it is the first display type that Apple is planning to design in-house. Rather than using a third-party display supplier like Samsung or LG Display, Apple is designing the displays itself and having them manufactured by partners like TSMC.
Apple has spent over six years working on microLED technology, and it has invested billions into developing new displays. Way back in 2015, Apple opened a secret laboratory in northern Taiwan to work on thinner, brighter, and more energy-efficient displays for future iOS devices, and rumors suggest that factory was dedicated to microLED. According to Bloomberg, it is one of the company’s most “critical projects.”
Apple reportedly has more than 300 employees working on microLED display development, but little is known about it outside of the company as of now. When Apple is able to transition to its own in-house displays, it will no longer need to rely on display partners.
MicroLED for Other Apple Devices
With OLED displays, Apple started with the Apple Watch before rolling out the technology to other devices, and the same thing is expected for microLED. The Apple Watch Ultra will be the first device with microLED, but Apple is planning to expand it to the iPhone, and it could also be introduced for the iPad and the Mac in the future.
It may take Apple some time to scale the technology to introduce larger microLED displays, but Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman says there are definite plans to use microLED for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
With OLED, the original Apple Watch introduced in 2015 had an OLED display, and it was the first Apple device to use the technology. Two years later, Apple brought OLED displays to the iPhone with the iPhone X, and now there are rumors of OLED iPads and MacBooks.
MicroLED Launch Date
The Apple Watch Ultra with microLED display is coming in the second half of 2025 at the earliest, according to display analyst Ross Young.
That’s still far off, so it is possible that Apple’s plans could be delayed and it could be pushed until 2026. Right now, Apple appears to be targeting 2025, so if that timeline sticks, we could see the Apple Watch Ultra with the new display technology launched in September 2025, which is typically when Apple introduces new Apple Watch models.
This article, “MicroLED Apple Watch Ultra: All the Rumors So Far” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Apple Watch Ultra With MicroLED Display ‘Pushed’ to Second Half of 2025
Young believes that the microLED Apple Watch has now been “pushed out” to 2025 at the earliest, which means rumors of a 2024 launch may now be outdated. Earlier this year, Young gave a more vague 2025 release timeline, but now he has dialed his prediction in to the latter half of the year.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has confirmed Apple’s work on a microLED Apple Watch, and in January, he suggested that the device could come out at the end of 2024, but Apple’s timeline has likely since shifted.
Early rumors about devices that are a year or two out can be unreliable in terms of launch timing as Apple often has to push back its release dates due to delays in design, component sourcing, manufacturing, and more.
The Apple Watch Ultra is expected to be the first Apple device to adopt a microLED display, but Apple is planning to bring the technology to the iPhone and other devices in the future.
This article, “Apple Watch Ultra With MicroLED Display ‘Pushed’ to Second Half of 2025” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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This cottagecore platformer is ultra charming, and out this week
There’s something very sweet about playing as a postal carrier. As we’ve seen in games such as Tiny Echo and Lake, it can be a relaxing and enjoyable job delivering mail in a small community, and that’s the pitch-perfect tone that solo developer Kela van der Deijl has managed to capture in their cutesy mail-delivery game Mail Time. After playing the Steam demo, I can tell you that it’s one of the most charming games I’ve played all year, and it looks like I’ll be able to play the rest soon because Mail Time is out this week on Thursday April 27th.
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Philips’ new ‘Ultra Efficient’ LED bulbs use 40 percent less energy
LED light bulbs are already supposed to be energy-efficient, but Signifiy thinks it can improve on the formula. The company has released Philips Ultra Efficient LED bulbs that, as the name implies, use 40 percent less energy than the brand’s usual LED options. The “advanced” LEDs and optics reduce the yearly energy cost to between 55 cents and $1.03 per bulb, Signify claims. For context, a Philips Ultra Definition 60W bulb uses an estimated 97 cents each year.
The new lights might also be helpful if you’re trying to minimize waste. Signify estimates that the Ultra Efficient line has an average lifespan of 50 years, or more than three times the usage of Philips’ standard LED bulbs. There’s a real chance this lighting might outlive you.
The Philips range is available now as a Walmart exclusive. It starts at $10 for a 60W-equivalent A19 bulb ($17 for two) in soft white and daylight variants. A 65W BR30 bulb costs $11, while a 100W A21 light is $15. You’re paying considerably more than you would for standard LEDs — a four-pack of Philips Ultra Definition 60W bulbs costs $14. However, Signify is clearly betting that the lower energy costs and increased longevity will ultimately save you money on top of being kinder to the environment.
The catch, of course, is that these aren’t smart bulbs. You’ll need to live with higher energy consumption if you insist on Philips Hue and don’t want to use smart plugs. If that isn’t an obstacle, though, you may see your energy bills shrink if you replace enough bulbs around your home.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/philips-new-ultra-efficient-led-bulbs-use-40-percent-less-energy-193033312.html?src=rss