New Apple Watch rumor points to display swap in 2017

The current Apple Watch uses small OLED panels, which are colorful, bright and usually good for battery life. But a new rumor suggests Apple will ditch the technology in favor of panels developed by a company it acquired in 2014.

DigiTimes said Apple is working with LuxVue, the company it acquired, to develop new micro LED panels for a new Apple Watch. The panel swap is expected during the “second half of 2017” at the earliest, which means we could be looking at micro LED’s in the Apple Watch 3, considering the Apple Watch 2 should launch way before then. LuxVue reportedly opened up a new lab in Taiwan “specifically for R&D of new display technologies” last year, DigiTimes explained.

I’m a fan of the Apple Watch display, but if Apple can make something that’s easier to view outdoors without draining too much battery life, then that’s a fair trade.