Apple has decided to discontinue its development of micro-LED screens for the Apple Watch. This also has consequences for employees.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is no longer continuing its internal development of micro-LEDs for the Apple Watch, according to sources familiar with the matter. The project, which aimed to make the new display technology ready for Apple’s mobile devices, was ultimately deemed too costly and complex, according to the report.
The decision to end the micro-LED display project has led to a restructuring of the display engineering teams and the elimination of several dozen jobs in the US and Asia, Bloomberg reports. The affected employees will have the opportunity to find another job within the company. Those who do not find a new position will be laid off in return for severance pay.
According to Bloomberg, the project was part of a broader initiative by Apple to develop more of its technologies to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. By developing its displays, Apple hoped to reduce its dependence on companies such as LG Display and Samsung SDI. Apple currently obtains its displays from these companies.
The manufacturer is said to have invested considerable resources in the project and also set up its production facility for displays in Santa Clara, California, with hundreds of employees. The production of micro-LED screens was to be tested there.
It has been known since May 2023 that the German-Austrian company AMS Osram is building a new plant in Malaysia. This was to be used for the production of micro-LED displays. The company already had its first major customer: Apple. But this will probably come to nothing.
Project Titan announced
The termination of the micro-LED display project follows Apple’s decision to stop work on its electric car, codenamed Project Titan.
The nearly 2,000 employees working on the project were surprised by the announcement on February 27, 2024, Bloomberg wrote in the same month. Many of them are to work on artificial intelligence (AI) in the future, it said, citing informed sources.
Apple initially had no comment on the reports. The iPhone company traditionally keeps a low profile when it comes to potential future products.