Apple would change its plans with the manufacture of the Watch: this is what we know

2024-03-24 14:18:00
After seven years of development, Apple canceled the project to manufacture its own displays. (REUTERS)

Apple has taken a step back from one of its projects: manufacturing its own screens for the Apple Watch. After approximately seven years of work on this project, the company has decided to give up and stop trying, according to recent reports.

The news, which was revealed by Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman, highlights the end of the project, known internally as T159, which aimed to reduce dependence on third-party manufacturers such as LG Display and Samsung SDI, two of the main display suppliers. for the company’s smart watches.

Since its early days, Apple has shown a penchant for having control over every aspect of its products. This is reflected in its historic transition from third-party designed chips to its own processors, such as the Apple Silicon chips that power the company’s latest devices. However, this philosophy of total control is not always successful.

After seven years of development, Apple canceled the project to manufacture its own displays. (REUTERS)

Although the development of its own processors has been successful, improving the performance of its devices, the company would have given up the production of its screens and would continue working with third-party companies.

Despite their efforts over seven years and the opening of a plant in Santa Clara, California, the manufacturing process turned out to be more complicated than expected.

Apple’s goal was to implement microLED display technology in future generations of the Apple Watch, which was seen as a significant leap in the viewing experience. MicroLED displays offer advantages such as higher brightness and better resistance to degradation compared to the OLED displays currently used in devices.

However, the manufacturing process for microLED displays turned out to be too complex and not suitable for mass production. Despite the efforts of the company and the employees dedicated to the project, Apple ultimately made the difficult decision to abandon it.

After seven years of development, Apple canceled the project to manufacture its own displays. (REUTERS)

The news of the abandonment of the screen project for the Apple Watch comes shortly following another important decision by the company: canceling its project to develop an electric car, known as Project Titan. These setbacks raise questions regarding the company’s long-term strategy and its ability to have greater control over the production of its device components.

As for the human impact of this decision, some employees of the Apple Watch display project are expected to be transferred to other divisions within the company, while others would be laid off and compensated.

The lawsuit, filed in the District Court of New Jersey, alleges that Apple has illegally monopolized the smartphone market in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. And among the practices pointed out by the American justice system include:

According to authorities in the United States, Apple has illegally monopolized the smartphone market. (REUTERS)

• Block cloud streaming apps for things like video games.
• Suppress the quality of messaging between the iPhone and competing platforms like Android
• Limit the interoperability of third-party smartwatches with your iPhones and make it difficult for Apple Watch users to switch due to compatibility issues.
• Prevent third-party developers from creating competing digital wallets with tap-to-pay functionality for iPhone.
• Discontinue “super apps” that encompass many different programs and might degrade “iOS reliability” by making it easier for iPhone users to switch to competing devices.

According to the authorities of the North American nation, this strategy by Apple not only illegally reinforced its monopoly in the market for smartphones and related accessories, but also limited the freedom of choice and the options available to the end consumer.

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