Waiting for the Apple Watch Ultra 3? A microLED screen boost looks increasingly unlikely

Apple Watch Ultra in use on wrist and on table

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Right now, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes with the best screen on an Apple Watch – or any smartwatch, for that matter. But Apple’s display dominance might not last forever, as there’s some disappointing news for anyone looking ahead to the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 3.

That’s because it looks like Apple has shelved its plans to upgrade the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s display to use microLED technology. This could have brought increased brightness and contrast, better battery life and more to the wearable, but now the whole project seems to be in doubt.

The news came from a press release written by Ams-OSRAM, which manufactures wearable displays and is thought to be a supplier for Apple products. In the statement, Ams-OSRAM said it was looking to “re-assess its microLED strategy” after “a cornerstone project underpinning its microLED strategy got unexpectedly cancelled” by a client.

Canceled or just delayed?

Apple Watch Ultra 2 using traditional strength training — (Image credit: Future)

That said, there are reasons for hope, as Ams-OSRAM revealed that “discussions with the related customer are ongoing.” That suggests that there’s a chance we could see a microLED Apple Watch Ultra at some point in the future, and the project could simply be delayed rather than canceled altogether.

Yet even before the reports from The Elec and Ams-OSRAM, an Apple Watch Ultra bearing microLED tech wasn’t expected to launch until 2025 or 2026. With the current situation, we might have to wait even longer before a microLED Apple Watch sees the light of day.

The only upside is that Apple Watch users are unlikely to be desperate for a display upgrade, seeing as the screen on the current Ultra is already incredibly impressive. As we said Apple Watch Ultra 2 review, it’s a “world-beating screen” that represents “Apple at its peak.”

But it’s still disappointing to see what could be a major visual upgrade punted into the long grass. Hopefully, Apple can get its microLED project back on track and be able to upgrade its Apple Watch Ultra displays to something even better in the not-too-distant future.

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Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.