A future iteration of the iPhone will receive a microLED display as reported by Digitimes, which will not only make for a superior screen, but overall enhance the device's performance metrics, including power efficiency. We initially got wind of this when a similar report suggested the Apple Watch Ultra would be swapping over to microLED.
At the time, leaks suggested the company seeks to implement the display into iPhone, iPad and MacBook products. While iPhone getting microLED is an exciting prospect, don't get your hopes up just yet: We probably won't see it for a long time. But some of you are probably wondering: What makes microLED so special?
How would a microLED display benefit iPhone?
The benefits of microLED are numerous, boasting a potentially brighter and more vivid display, even when compared to OLED. But what makes the technology especially exciting is that it could enhance the associated device's power efficiency (resulting in less wasted battery) alongside a longer-lasting overall lifespan. It can even offer nearly 0% risk of burn-in and further protection against physical damage, humidity, electricity, and dust.
It is superior on every level, offering a gorgeous display alongside tons of improvements without a single known sacrifice in quality. The downside, however, is that it is considerably more expensive than even OLED displays. Beyond just price, it is very difficult to produce and has been notoriously challenging to get into the market on a consumer level.
If we're following Apple's pattern of OLED display implementation, we anticipate the next device to to receive microLED will absolutely be the iPhone. It makes plenty of sense for the company to begin with its smallest devices and then work its way up from there, with MacBook being the final piece of the puzzle.
However, we won't be seeing the microLED iPhone until after 2024 or 2025 at least, as a separate report from Digitimes claimed that other Apple devices will not receive this display until the Apple Watch Ultra does. However, it's likely that it'll extend even beyond 2025, as making microLED affordable with a screen as large as the iPhone is a bit difficult.