Last year's Apple Watch Ultra 2 wasn't a particularly big upgrade. In fact, hardly anything changed on the best Apple Watch. This was expected, with the first-gen device only a year old, but it left Apple Watch us all wanting more. Rumors about a Gen 3 Apple Watch Ultra suggest the smartwatch will come with a MicroLED display, which would mark a huge evolution for the product. But it seems the much-anticipated device is teetering on the edge of the abyss.
According to display analyst Ross Young, Apple's quest for a brighter, more vibrant Apple Watch with MicroLED technology has hit a significant snag. This comes after a recent SEC filing by Kulicke & Soffa, a manufacturing equipment company, which revealed the cancellation of a mysterious "Project W" by one of its "strategic customers."
Kulicke & Soffa (KLIC) indicated that its Project W is canceled, taking at least $110M in charges. Apple no longer has to worry about transferring microLEDs which is bad news for KLIC.March 12, 2024
While unconfirmed, this "Project W" is believed to be the codename for the MicroLED Apple Watch Ultra. Kulicke & Soffa had been gearing up to assist in the development and future mass production of advanced display technologies. But with this unnamed strategic customer pulling the plug, Kulicke & Soffa -- and its "LED die transfer" system -- is potentially incurring up to $130 million in charges as they cease operations related to the project.
This isn't an isolated incident, either. Earlier this year, AMS-Osram, another Apple supplier, announced a reevaluation of its MicroLED strategy following the cancellation of a "cornerstone project," also believed to be tied to the microLED Apple Watch initiative.
Is this goodbye to the MicroLED Apple Watch Ultra?
With two major suppliers out of the picture, the project faces an unlikely future. Industry insiders and analysts, including the aforementioned Ross Young and the prolific Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, seem to agree that Apple may have put the MicroLED Apple Watch project on ice. But there's a plot twist: Sources like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and DigiTimes suggest Apple might be on the hunt for alternative suppliers, refusing to let the dream die just yet.
What does this mean for the future of the Apple Watch Ultra and its fancy MicroLED display? Well, if you were holding your breath for the upgraded device on your wrist, you might want to exhale. The MicroLED Apple Watch Ultra, with its promises of dazzling displays, seems to be several years away from becoming a reality. If it ever does.
