(Reuters) – Apple Inc. has partnered with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to develop micro OLED displays, which it plans to use in its upcoming augmented reality (AR) devices, Nikkei Asia reported on Wednesday.
Apple is partnering with TSMC, the only supplier of iPhone processors, as micro OLED screens are much thinner, smaller and consume less power, making them more suitable for use on portable devices, according to the report.
Developing screens are less than 1 inch in size, Nikkei added.
Bloomberg News in January reported that Apple was still working on underlying technologies for its AR glasses, codenamed N421. He said the product was several years away, citing sources, but added that Apple had already signed up by 2023 to make it known. (bloom.bg/36XWuj9)
The micro OLED project with TSMC is currently in the test production phase and will take several years to reach mass production, according to Nikkei.
TSMC declined to comment, while Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Reports of Arghyadeep Dutta and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Edited by Devika Syamnath