Canceled Apple Watch Ultra display upgrade plans cost this company a fortune, now it wants to be compensated
LG Display isn't happy about the project being canceled.
![Apple Watch Ultra 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/76exbHVDBhjnQTApNHTBNC-320-80.jpg)
Apple is expected to announce the Apple Watch Ultra 3 next month, but despite previous reports that Apple could bring impressive new microLED technology to its high-end smartwatch, those plans have now been canceled. And that move could cost the company compensation.
LG Display is the company responsible for the displays used in a number of Apple products including iPhones and iPads, and it was also the company that was expected to provide the microLED displays for a future Apple Watch. However, with the upgrade having been canceled LG Display has found itself out of pocket to the tune of millions of dollars, and it wants Apple to make things right.
According to a new report, LG Display has spent "tens of billions of won" to get ready for microLED Apple Watch display production, only for Apple's plans to leave it high and dry.
A bright idea
The Elec reports that LG Display was set to provide the LED backplanes required for new microLED displays only for Apple to change course. There is no word on when the project will be rekindled, and LG Display is counting the cost — including missed opportunities to produce displays for other companies.
"LG Display secured space for the micro LED backplane process in Paju, recruited manpower, and formed a task force (TF)," the report explains. "Several of LG Display's equipment partners also prepared to supply equipment around the same time."
LG Display has requested compensation from Apple over the change of plans, but it's unknown whether any kind of contract had been signed and if so, what the break clauses for such a contract might look like.
The move to microLED technology, as and when it happens, could see future Apple Watches enjoy better battery life, improved durability, and a higher peak brightness which would obviously be beneficial in a wearable device.
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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.