A new Apple Watch Ultra with a larger 2.1-inch display will reportedly be released in 2024. This is consistent with the information that Jeff Pu, a tech analyst at the Hong Kong-based investment company Haitong International Securities, revealed last month.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 will feature a 10% larger display than current model
According to a report published today by the Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, which cited industry sources, Apple plans to release a new Apple Watch Ultra by 2024 with a display that will be 10% larger than the current model. The first-generation Apple Watch Ultra features a display that is almost 1.93 inches and the new model will feature a 2.1-inch display. This means that the 2024 Apple Watch Ultra will likely be the first Apple Watch that has a case size higher than 50mm.
In addition, the new Ultra is anticipated to be the first Apple Watch to use microLED display technology. This will give it an advantage over existing versions with OLED screens in terms of brightness, power usage, and contrast ratio.
Apple has been working on its custom-built microLED displays, codenamed T159 since 2017. After spending almost six years on them, Apple is almost ready to release the technology in a finished product. The move would help the tech giant to minimize its reliance on suppliers. In addition, it would also help to reduce operational costs. One report claims that the tech giant has already started testing microLED displays for the 2024 Apple Watch Ultra.
In contrast to the 2024 Apple Watch Ultra timeline, Display analyst Ross Young has claimed that the Cupertino tech giant will indeed launch an Apple Watch Ultra with microLED. But, it would enter mass production by the end of 2024 for a launch in the spring of 2025.
It is believed that after Apple introduces microLED display technology to the rugged Apple Watch, it will expand the same technology to the remainder of its products. Apple will first turn to its iPhone lineup for the next microLED improvement, followed by its iPad lineup, and finally its Mac portfolio. Eventually, it’s anticipated that Apple will incorporate microLED into each of its major product categories.
Given the significant upgrade Apple has planned for the Apple Watch Ultra in 2024, it is unlikely that the tech giant plans to update the model in 2023.
