Apple Partners With Taiwanese Chip Maker TSMC to Develop Ultra-Advanced Displays for AR Devices: Report

Apple is collaborating with TSMC as micro-OLED displays are far thinner, smaller, and use less power, making them more suitable for AR devices.

By Gadgets 360 Staff With Inputs From Reuters | Updated: 10 February 2021 14:05 IST

An augmented reality (AR) device is said to be among upcoming products from the Apple in 2021

Highlights

The micro-OLED project is currently at the trial production stage
It will take several years to achieve mass production
Report said Apple's first crack at a headset is designed to be a pricey

Apple has partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co to develop ultra-advanced display technology in Taiwan, Nikkei Asia reported on Wednesday.

The iPhone maker plans to ultimately use these micro-OLED displays in its upcoming augmented reality devices, the report said, citing sources.

Apple is collaborating with TSMC, the sole supplier of iPhone processors, as micro-OLED displays are far thinner, smaller and use less power, making them more suitable for use in wearable AR devices, the report added.

Apple’s First VR Headset Said to Be Niche Precursor to Eventual AR Glasses

The micro-OLED project is currently at the trial production stage and it will take several years to achieve mass production, according to the report.

Both Apple and TSMC did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

An augmented reality (AR) device is said to be among upcoming products from the Apple in 2021. The information was reportedly shared by reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who also said that new AirPods and devices with mini-LED displays are also in the pipeline. Kuo said Apple will release an augmented reality (AR) device, which could be a headset, a pair of glasses, or both, as per the report.

A recent Bloomberg report said that Apple's first crack at a headset is designed to be a pricey, niche precursor to a more ambitious augmented reality product that will take longer to develop, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

As a mostly virtual reality device, it will display an all-encompassing 3D digital environment for gaming, watching video, and communicating. AR functionality, the ability to overlay images and information over a view of the real world, will be more limited. Apple has planned to launch the product as soon as 2022, going up against Facebook's Oculus, Sony's PlayStation VR and headsets from HTC.

Can Realme X7 Pro take on OnePlus Nord? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.