LG Display has been developing OLED microdisplay technologies for several years, and according to a new report from Korea the company is now aiming to build its first production line, as it has hopes to supply OLED Microdisplay to Apple in the future. LG is reportedly ordering deposition equipment from Korea-based OLED equipment maker Sunic System.
According to reports, Apple is using 4K OLED microdisplay produced by Sony for its first-gen AR device. But Apple could aim to replace Sony (which is a direct competitor) in its later-generation devices.
The Apple device will reportedly use a foveated display design which means that the display will also inclue a larger AMOLED display (reportedly produced by LG Display).
In 2020 Sunic System announced it has received a $22.6 million order for OLED deposition equipment from BOE. The tools are used by BOE for OLED microdisplay production.
In 2020 LG Display unveiled its OLEDoS brand of OLED microdisplays. LGD's display was a 0.42" 1280x720 (3,500 PPI) panel that uses a color-filter based design. The display offers a brightness of 5,000 nits. In 2021 LGD revealed that it is developing a 1.16" 3K OLED microdisplay, and also a 4K one. It is likely that this 4K display is targeting Apple's future device.
The microdisplay market is heating up, in both the established defense, medical and industrial sectors and in the consumer markets (AR and VR) which are only now emerging. To learn more about the OLED microdisplay market (including our views on the potentially disruptive microLED technology), check out our OLED and MicroLED Microdisplay Market Report.
