The new Apple Watch will have a different screen to its predecessor – according to this report
Apple’s next wave of Apple Watches will have shiny new OLED displays built by Japan Display, according to fresh reports.
The news broke via Reuters on 3 April, which reported learning about the change via two sources familiar with the matter. The deal will see Apple use Japan Display’s OLED panels, as opposed to the more common ones from Samsung and LG that are seen on most phones, TVs and tablets.
The move would be a big boon for Japan Display which just entered the OLED market. In the past company focused on LCD displays, like the one seen in the iPhone XR. The Apple Watch 4 already has an OLED screen and it’s unclear how the move will affect the next Apple Watch’s performance. Ideally we’d love to see the company take a page of Android’s playbook and finally create a circular Apple Watch.
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We’d also like to see Apple add an always-on feature to the next Apple Watch. Always on displays are a key selling point on competing smartwatches that make it quick and easy to check the time, or your step count without having to full power on the wearable.
OLED screens offer a variety of advantages over LCD. The panels are thinner and able to produce deeper blacks. This is because the generate colours and light by charging individual pixels, rather than the entire screen panel like LCD screens do.
This means blacks are created by simply turning off the pixel, which in turn stops them generating any light. As a secondary benefit the tech consumes less power as a result. The only downsides are that, if not setup correctly they can have dirtier whites and significantly lower maximum brightness than LCD screens.
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Whatever happens current industry reports suggest the Apple Watch will have a very bright future. CCS Insights forecast a massive growth in Apple Watch sales over the next year in its latest Optimistic Outlook for Wearables report on 20 March.
What do you want to see Apple add to its next smartwatch? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.