The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has been tipped for a 2025 release by reports claiming insider knowledge. This goes against earlier rumors claiming a 2024 release, but the tipsters do support the claim that we’ll see a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra with a micro-LED display.
According to Ross Young, CEO of analyst firm Display Supply Chain Consultants, an earnings report from German photonics outfit Osram puts to bed any hope of a 2024 follow-up to the Apple Watch Ultra. In the report, Osram states its expectation we will see “relevant revenues from leading microLED technology starting in 2025.” Osram should know what it is talking about when it comes to Micro-LED technology, with the same report describing itself as in a “frontrunner position for high volume industrialization of this next generation technology.”
While everyone else reported that the MicroLED Apple Watch would launch in 2024, we remained steadfast that it would be 2025, now essentially confirmed by its MicroLED supplier Osram: pic.twitter.com/gI9T6xcKfUFebruary 7, 2023
Ross Young has been touting a 2025 launch for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for some time, and doesn’t expect Apple to work alone in bringing Micro-LED technology to the market. In January he claimed that Apple will be using LG-manufactured Micro-LED displays for the Apple Watch, and that production won’t start until the second half of 2024. If this schedule is correct, then a 2024 release seems even more unlikely.
What will the Apple Watch Ultra 2 look like?
Even if it isn’t due to arrive until 2024/2025, rumors around the Apple Watch Ultra 2 have already gotten quite detailed. For instance, some tipsters believe that the watch will feature a bigger screen, jumping from 1.9 inches to 2.1 inches.
Micro-LED display technology will likely be the biggest overall upgrade if the leaks are accurate. Made up of millions of individual LEDs, Micro-LED displays have brilliant colors and brightness beyond even OLED displays, and they don’t decay over time either. Because Micro-LEDs are small (it's in the name), a Micro-LED display can be much thinner, with some sources saying the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s display could be so sleek as to appear painted on.
As well as an improved display, Micro LED technology would also help with the battery life of the watch. The Apple Watch Ultra currently has around 36 hours of battery life but the decreased power consumption of Micro-LEDs would likely see this increase — fixing one of our biggest gripes with what is otherwise one of the best smartwatches.
