As TrendForce specifies in its latest report “TrendForce 2023 Micro LED Market Trend and Technology Cost Analysis”, although revenue from Micro LED chips installed in wearables (mainly smartwatches) are estimated to be only USD 3 million in 2023, the number will skyrocket to USD 172 million and USD 463 million in 2024 and 2025, respectively, as Apple starts to adopt Micro LED displays for its new watches. The new Apple Watch will likely prompt other brands to develop and promote Micro LED wearables. Micro LED chip market value from wearable application is forecasted to achieve a whopping 873% CAGR between 2022 and 2027.

The Apple Watch Ultra rolled out in late 2022 indicates that the tech giant is surely focusing on Micro LED smartwatches. Despite the continued use of OLED screens, the Ultra lineup has raised the level of three crucial indicators for wearables, namely brightness (from 1,000 nits to 2,000 nits), size (from 1.77 inches [45mm] to 1.93 inches [49mm]), and entry price (from the previous $399 to $799 now), marking a milestone of this generation. The doubled brightness represents the company’s preparation for Micro LED with high brightness nature. The enlarged size (2.12 inches) signifies an attempt to test users’ reaction. Positioned as a top-level product, the Micro LED watch will cost more for certain, prompting Apple to announce high-end products and redefine price expectations among consumers. In short, the Ultra series represents Apple’s multi-aspect attempt to “test the water” for market development before debuting its Micro LED products.

Wearables also play a crucial role in the development of Micro LED supply chains. Among Apple’s chip suppliers, for example, Japan-based Nichia and Taiwan-based Epistar jointly serve as an alternative supplier list candidate in addition to ams OSRAM—a leading European chip manufacturer that is closely tied with Apple. The development of smartwatches has encouraged more chip manufacturers to enter the market. The resultant healthy competition enables the Micro LED cost to be reduced quickly and helps breakthrough the status quo that panel supply is heavily concentrated in Asia (i.e., LCD and OLED), making Micro LED a new market which LED companies worldwide have been striving to develop.

TrendForce holds that the debut of Micro LED wearables is an important turning point for Micro LED mass production. A smartwatch often comes with a resolution of around 200,000 pixels—an equivalent of 700,000–800,000 LEDs on the 2–inch screen of each device. Because of a low diode number and small display size, requirements of mass transfer for smartwatches are relatively low. Therefore, wearables are definitely a suitable application for manufacturers in attempt to mass produce Micro LEDs as display panels. In the Micro LED industry, wearables will become a critical application for businesses to generate solid market demand in the coming years.

Author: Eric / TrendForce

TrendForce 2023 Micro LED Market Trend and Technology Cost Analysis
Release Date: 31 May / 30 November 2023
Language: Traditional Chinese / English
Format: PDF
Page: 160 / Year

Chapter I. Micro LED Self-Emitting Display Market Analysis

• 2023-2027 Micro LED Market Scale Analysis- Large-Sized Displays
• 2023-2027 Micro LED Market Scale Analysis- Wearable Displays
• 2023-2027 Micro LED Market Scale Analysis- Head-mounted Devices
• 2023-2027 Micro LED Market Scale Analysis- Automotive Displays
• 2023-2027 Micro LED Market Value Analysis- Mobile Devices
• 2023-2027 Micro LED Market Value Analysis- IT Displays
• 2023-2027 Micro LED Market Value Analysis
• 2023-2027 Micro LED Wafer Market Demand Analysis
• Micro LED Market Roadmap- AIDAS Model

Chapter II. Micro LED Large-sized Display Market Analysis

• 2023 Micro LED Large-sized Display Specification and Progress
• Micro LED Chip Yield and Brand Target
• Mass Transfer Technology Analysis and Trend
  Kulicke & Soffa
  ASMPT
  Contrel
  Shin-Etsu Chemical
  Coherent
  Stroke PAE
• Backplane Technology Analysis
• Samsung The Wall Series- Size and Resolution
• LTPS (Side Wiring) Analysis- Samsung / LG / BOE Manufacturing Analysis
• Active / Passive Matrix Analysis
• Samsung 89-inch 4K P0.51 LED Video Wall / TV Cost Analysis
• LG vs. BOE Micro LED Video Wall / TV Cost Analysis

Chapter III. Micro LED Wearable Display- Watch Market Analysis

• 2023-2025 Global Smart Watch Shipment Forecast
• Smart Watch Shipment Product Mix- Apple vs. Samsung
• Touch Taiwan Micro LED Smart Watch- AUO, PlayNitride, Innolux
• 2024-2025 Apple Watch Specification Analysis
• Apple Micro LED Watch- Specification and Cost Analysis
• Tag Heuer Micro LED Watch- Specification and Cost Analysis
• 8-inch Wafer Production- Pros and Cons Analysis
• Micro LED Chip- Flip / Vertical Chip Technology and Application Markets

Chapter IV. Micro LED Head-Mounted Display Market Analysis

• AR / VR Specification Analysis
• AR / VR Display Technology Roadmap
• AR / VR Market Challenges- High PPI
• AR Market Challenges- Never Too Small
• AR Market Challenges- Never Too Bright
• AR / VR Microdisplay Technology Overview
• AR / VR Microdisplay Technology Analysis
• Touch Taiwan Micro LED Transparent AR Glasses- PlayNitride, Sitan
• Augmented Reality- Micro LED Manufacturing Process
• Micro LED Equipment and Manufacturing Process Upgrades
• Epitaxy- Substrate Materials and Size Options
• Chip- 2D / 3D Structural Analysis
• Bonding- Temperature, Stress, and Precision are Key Technical Factors
• Bonding- CTE Mismatch
• Bonding- Size Mismatch Problem
• Full Color Microdisplay Technologies
• InGaN Red Light Technology
• Red Light Dilemma- InGaN or AlInGaP?
• Full Color Display- QD Color Conversion Pros and Cons Analysis
• Full Color Display- RGB Vertical Stacking
• LCOS- Light Engine Miniaturization
• LBS- Ecosystem and Light Engine Miniaturization
• Micro OLED- Increasing PPI and Brightness

Chapter V. Micro LED Automotive Display Market Analysis

• Automotive Display Technology Overview
• 2023-2027 HUD Market Shipment- Product vs. Regional Market Analysis
• 2023 HUD Product Specification and Price Analysis
• AR-HUD Technology Analysis
• AR-HUD OEM Supply Chain and Product Specification Analysis
• HUD Market Value Chain Analysis
• Micro LED Transparent Display
• Touch Taiwan Micro LED Transparent Displays- PlayNitride, AUO
• 2023 Micro LED Transparent Display Cost Analysis
• Micro LED Automotive Display Application Overview

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