Yang Joon-Young, a VP at LG Display, says that recent improvement in OLED technologies will cause an industry shift from LCoS devices to OLED microdisplays in AR systems. LCoS will find a market in low-cost AR headsets, but most AR solutions will be based on OLEDs.
Next-generation VR systems, which will require higher pixel densities, will also switch from LCD and mobile AMOLED displays to OLED microdisplays that will offer pixel densities of over 3000 PPI.
MicroLED microdisplays (LEDoS) is also a viable technology and a competitor to OLEDs. LG Display continues to watch microLED technology development. According to our information, the company is actively developing microLED AR technologies.
LG Display has been developing OLED microdisplay technologies for several years, and it is now stepping up its efforts and aiming to build its first production line, as it has hopes to supply OLED Microdisplay to Apple in the future. LG is reportedly ordering deposition equipment from Korea-based OLED equipment maker Sunic System, and is reportedly close to signing an agreement with Hynix regarding silicon wafer production.
According to reports, Apple is using 4K OLED microdisplay produced by Sony for its first-gen AR device. But Apple could aim to replace Sony (which is a direct competitor) in its later-generation devices, and LGD is interested - and so is Samsung Display.
The Apple device will reportedly use a foveated display design which means that the display will also include a larger AMOLED display (reportedly produced by LG Display).
In 2020 Sunic System announced it has received a $22.6 million order for OLED deposition equipment from BOE. The tools are used by BOE for OLED microdisplay production.
In 2020 LG Display unveiled its OLEDoS brand of OLED microdisplays. LGD's display was a 0.42" 1280x720 (3,500 PPI) panel that uses a color-filter based design. The display offers a brightness of 5,000 nits. In 2021 LGD revealed that it is developing a 1.16" 3K OLED microdisplay, and also a 4K one. It is likely that this 4K display is targeting Apple's future device.
