Mass production of microLED displays will begin next year, says Apple supplier Foxconn

Apple has yet to complete its transition from LCD to OLED, but will at some point move beyond this to microLED screens. Key supplier Foxconn has announced that it expects to begin mass production of the advanced display tech late next year.

Foxconn made the announcement as it revealed a partnership with Porotech for microLED to be used in future AR headsets …

Apple’s move toward micro-LED

Apple is so still to complete its transition to its third display technology, OLED:

• Originally, it used LCD with conventional backlighting
• Then it moved on to LCD with mini-LED backlighting
• The Apple Watch, iPhone, and latest iPads currently use OLED
• With MacBooks to follow, likely in 2026

Apple is already looking ahead to an even more advanced display tech, however, known as micro-LED. This offers even brighter displays with greater color accuracy, longevity, and power efficiency, and without the burn-in weakness of OLED.

The company was expected to begin this move with a microLED Apple Watch, but later cancelled (or, likely, postponed) this plan as the tech wasn’t sufficiently advanced.

Foxconn preps for mass production of microLED

Key Apple partner Foxconn has announced that it expects to begin mass production of its first microLED screens late next year. These are tiny displays destined for a future AR headset.

Hon Hai Technology Group (“Foxconn”) has announced a partnership with Porotech to enter the augmented reality (AR) glasses market.

Leveraging Porotech’s cutting-edge gallium nitride (GaN) technology and Foxconn’s vertically integrated services, from MicroLED wafer processing to packaging and optical modules, the collaboration aims to meet the demands for micro-display chips and AR glasses production. Together, they will provide high-performance, high-brightness, compact, and lightweight AR display solutions to advance global AR and micro-display technology development […]

The company plans to establish a MicroLED wafer processing production line in Taichung, with mass production slated to begin in Q4 2025.

That would likely indicate the first products incorporating the tech launching in Q1 2025.

Foxconn says that the tech would meet the needs of “future mainstream global clients,” but doesn’t get any more specific than this.

Photo by Daniel Olah on Unsplash