Throw off Samsung to do it yourself, Apple's first self-developed screen is coming?

Early yesterday morning, there was news that Apple would start producing screens itself.

Shichao looked at it carefully, in fact, this matter has been arguing for a few days, and there are indeed a few analysts and "insiders" who are breaking the news.

This morning there was even news that Apple may release the first OLED touchscreen Mac computer in 2025.

However, Apple's official has not replied at present, and Apple's product screen suppliers Samsung and LG have also kept silent.

According to our past experience, the more so, the more it can show that things are not bad, not to mention, the stocks of related sectors in the past two days are crazy.

Moreover, Apple wants to build its own screen, and it is not a day or two that it has been spread.

As early as 2018, it was reported that Apple had successfully designed and produced a small number of screens for testing, and was ready to use them as early as 2020.

But today, in 2023, we still haven't been able to wait for Apple's own screen.

According to the latest revelations, Apple will not use self-developed screens on Apple Watch Ultra in small batches until the end of 2024 or 2025.

Many people are curious, don't you just build a screen, as for Apple, which has a big business and top research and development strength, does it spend so much time?

This is because Apple is not developing our common LCD or OLED screen, nor is it doing the Mini LED technology that currently looks very high-end, but Micro LED.

Simply put, Micro LED is the ultimate evolution of the OLED screen commonly used in high-end mobile phones.

In recent years, OLED screens have steadily become popular fried chicken by virtue of their self-illumination to improve the contrast of the screen, and have the advantages of accurate color rendering of the dark part of the picture and black parts.

The black of the LCD is always gray ▼

However, OLED screens have a disadvantage, that is, when displaying pure white pixels for a long time, it will produce the problem of "burning the screen".

But the same self-illuminating, color-rendering Micro LED does not have this problem.

Not only that, Micro LED also has higher brightness, lower power consumption, and even the picture quality is said to have a super huge improvement, people who have seen it say: "like painting on glass".

That is to say, Micro LED has both the advantages of more than OLEDs and the problems that OLEDs have.

However, good things generally have problems, that is, expensive and difficult to do.

But as one of the world's leading technology companies, Apple has a "leave me alone" momentum.

Back in 2014, Apple acquired LuxVue, a company specializing in Micro LED technology, when the idea was to use this new technology in mobile phones and computers.

But the reality is very skinny, and in 2017, the production of Micro LED was still too difficult, and Apple almost killed the project internally.

It is also thanks to Apple's deep pockets, and then it took a while to throw money and survive.

It is said that during this time, engineers solved some technical problems, so that Apple could take a reassurance.

And it is said that Apple still made concessions, ready to let Micro LED first on a slightly niche watch product, and after further polishing, then consider using mobile phones, computers and other major businesses.

But even so, until today, Apple's Micro LED has to be difficult to produce for at least a while.

Apple touched a nose of ash, but now in the market, there is a company that has always taken Micro LED technology out to show muscles in recent years, this company is Samsung, the main supplier of Apple's product screens.

They launched "The Wall" in 2018, the world's first modular consumer-grade Micro LED display, but as you can tell from the name, it is amazingly large, a full 146 inches in size.

At that time, Samsung was blowing into the sky, such as the clarity of other screens in the supermarket, and the shape can be customized according to their own needs; But this is matched by a rather impressive price, and even the installation has to be carried out by a professional team.

In the middle of last year, "The Wall" finally went on sale in China in a 110-inch version, which sold for more than a real wall in Beijing, a full 1049999 yuan.

It's not that Samsung doesn't want to be small, but there is really no good process and can't control the cost.

You know, in Micro LED, each pixel needs 3 chips to control. Because the small screen is close to the eyes, to maintain clarity, it means that the pixels must be made smaller and denser, and the chip behind it must be smaller.

This time around, the cost goes up.

And what is more troublesome is that when the entire Micro LED panel is transferred to the back panel, each pixel and the "card slot" on the back panel have a one-to-one correspondence.

Take a less appropriate example: the same 25 million pixels, put on a 150-inch large board, even if you accidentally shake, each pixel and the "card slot" may be aligned; But switch to a 10-inch board, blow a breath and maybe it's all crooked.

So at present, the Micro LED products that can be seen on the market are mainly outdoor large screens, giant flat-screen TVs, and small screens in some subdivisions, such as car displays.

Panel manufacturer AUO Optoelectronics tests the water micro LED technology on the car screen panel ▼

However, Samsung is at least continuing its efforts.

Because at the recently concluded CES show, Samsung brought the so-called "world's smallest and most affordable Micro LED screen" Micro LED CX, and finally did not need a professionally installed MicroLED CX, but the size is still a full 76 inches.

It also said that it will continue to launch 50, 63, 89, 101, 114 and 140-inch versions this year.

So, seeing that Samsung has made a lot of breakthroughs in the Micro LED screen, why is Apple still so insistent on doing it itself?

Isn't it fragrant to buy ready-made at that time?

Therefore, many people on the Internet speculate that Apple is accelerating the pace of self-developed parts replacement.

Ten years of grinding a sword allowed Apple to successfully replace Intel in Mac computers and tasted a great sweetness.

Two days ago, it was revealed that Apple plans to prepare its first cellular modem chip (used to ensure that the phone makes and receives calls and surfs the Internet without Wi-Fi) at the end of 2024 or early 2025 in order to replace Qualcomm's related products.

Of course, there may be some pressure in this matter.

In 2019, Apple and Qualcomm fought a lawsuit because of royalties and patents, and finally although the two sides settled, Qualcomm only promised to provide Apple with components until 2024.

After reconciling with Qualcomm, Apple began to develop its own related components, and intends to completely replace Qualcomm this year.

But the technical capabilities and test complexity required by this chip have greatly exceeded Apple's expectations. Last year, due to problems such as "overheating of the prototype version", Apple had to postpone the deadline to replace Qualcomm.

Not only that, but there is also news that Apple is also developing an integrated chip that can provide 5G cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions at the same time, thereby replacing the current Broadcom products.

According to outside speculation, Broadcom provoked Apple because during the epidemic, it had asked Apple to make a promise not to cut orders.

Apple, Broadcom's largest customer, contributing 20% of annual revenue, fell nearly 5% after this rumor was exposed.

As the world's largest purchaser of electronic devices, Apple's influence is undoubted, as can be seen from the blow that Intel suffered after the advent of the M series chip.

But at present, it seems that self-developed Micro LED is more of a precaution; R&D chips have a feeling of "revenge on the ex" in it.

At least from the current situation, it is really difficult to say whether Apple has made up its mind to carry out self-research all the way to the end.