Apple's AR/VR headset reportedly enough to pique Samsung's interest in micro OLED tech

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Apple Mixed Reality Headset Vr
Apple Mixed Reality Headset Vr (Image credit: LetsGoDigital and Concept Creator)

What you need to know

  • Apple's mixed reality headset could sport Samsung displays.
  • A new report claims that Samsung has been lined up as a potential micro OLED display provider.
  • Apple is expected to launch the new headset in or around the first part of 2023.

Samsung has reportedly increased its interest in working with micro OLED displays following a request from Apple and other companies.

While Samsung was said to have limited interest in the technology, with "only a few research staff" working on it, The Elec says that has now changed with Apple and Meta among the companies enquiring about whether Samsung could produce displays. Low profitability was thought to have been the main reason Samsung wasn't interested initially, but with the Apple AR/VR headset expected to arrive next year and a second generation model penciled in for 2025, Samsung is now paying attention.

MicroOLED technology is also not a must for headsets and there are other competing technologies.But as Apple is expected to launch a mixed reality headset with MicroOLED next year and Meta is also planning to launch their own, there is pressure on Samsung Display to appease its customers.

LG Display is already said to be planning to provide micro OLED displays to Apple and it's thought that could have applied more pressure on Samsung.

Little concrete information is known about Apple's headset plans, although a launch in or around the first part of 2023 now seems most likely. The headset is also expected to be costly in its first iteration, with prices north of $3,000 likely. An updated 2025 model is rumored to have a cheaper version as part of the roadmap, but plans could change between now and then.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.