On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Apple is secretly developing the next generation of Micro- LED display Panel technology, ready to get rid of dependence on Samsung, LG and other companies in the future.
According to the latest news from foreign media, Apple has applied for more than 30 patented Micro-LED technologies in Korea, indicating that Apple has developed display The huge determination of the panel, which will also form some kind of deterrence against South Korea's two giants.
According to the Korean Herald’s website, Apple previously acquired LuxVue Technologies, which develops Micro-LED display panel technology. According to information from the Korean government, Apple has applied for 11 Micro-LED related patents in the past ten years. LuxVue applied for 23 patents. This means that Apple has mastered a total of 34 Micro-LED patents.
This number of patents indicates that Apple is very likely to use Micro-in future electronic devices. LED display.
Apple's above-mentioned patent covers the various technologies of Micro-LED panels, such as chip structure, control system, and control and handling process for Micro-LED panels.
Kim Jong-chan, head of the Display Panel Division of the Korea Intellectual Property Office, said that Apple’s application to the Korean government for these patents is because South Korea has two major display panel giants, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, and two South Korean companies may be in the future. Micro-LED display is used in the device.
Apple has been researching and registering a variety of technology patents. Many foreign media have pointed out that some of the patents applied by Apple are not necessarily used in certain products or technologies. The purpose of Apple is to advance the position and containment of competitors. The dominance of the future technological competition.
However, the large number of patents for Micro-LEDs indicates that Apple is no longer simply a deterrent.
To date, Apple does not have the large-scale manufacturing capabilities of the display panel, which needs from Sharp, LG, Samsung, Japan monitor And other companies make purchases. In the iPhone X mobile phone released last year, Apple purchased an exclusive supply from Samsung Display. OLED screen.
According to reports, Samsung and Apple's cooperation is not satisfactory. Samsung OLED has a problem of low yield, resulting in the downstream Foxconn Group can not produce enough mobile phones. In addition, after the mobile phone was put on the market, many consumers found on both sides of the screen. The dazzling green lines are most likely a display manufacturer's technical problem.
In addition, Samsung’s exclusive supply also affected Apple’s purchase price. According to Bloomberg’s report, the same OLED screen, Samsung’s price for its own mobile phone unit is US$85, but the price for Apple’s sales is up to US$110. Samsung has acquired a lot of money. profit.
The $110 OLED screen price directly pushed up the price of the iPhone X. The high pricing of $999 was a major reason for the downturn in this phone.
According to Bloomberg News, in the field of Micro-LED display panels, Apple has made a lot of investment. In addition to corporate acquisitions and patent registrations, Apple has a factory near its headquarters in California, secretly conducting small-scale research and development.
Korean layout
Samsung and LG are the world's first group of display panel makers, and both companies have already targeted Micro-LED technology.
In the past ten years, Samsung Electronics applied for a total of 24 Micro-LED patents, Samsung Display applied for 24 patents, LG Electronics applied for 29 patents, and LG Display applied for 35.
Earlier this year, at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Samsung Electronics released the world's first large-size TV based on the Micro-LED screen.
As a response to rival Samsung, it is reported that LG Electronics is also preparing to exhibit the company's first Micro-LED TV at the IFA Consumer Electronics Show in September. LG Electronics and Brothers LG in this product The monitor cooperated with LG Innotek.
Technical differences
According to reports, Micro-LED display panels use tiny LED arrays, which can further reduce the size of electronic devices, provide higher display brightness, and use less power.
At present, OLED has become the most popular display panel. Among the three mobile phones released this year, Apple may adopt OLED screens in the two mobile phones. It is reported that, compared with OLEDs, Micro-LED screens have a longer lifespan and are higher. Brightness, no burn screen, additional color is easier to debug.
In 2012, the South Korean government received only 12 patent applications for Micro-LED technology, which increased to 120 last year and the number has doubled.
In the past ten years, the total number of Micro-LED patents applied by enterprises in Korea was 358. Among them, Korean companies applied for 119 and foreign companies applied for 116.
