Apple Glasses will reportedly use Sony’s state-of-the-art OLED microdisplays to deliver...

Japanese release earlier this week Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun reported that Sony will supply Apple with OLED microdisplays for its widely used AR / VR glasses, as discovered by Mac Otakara. The report has been since then

We have heard from multiple sources that Apple is pursuing AR/VR glasses using Sony microOLEDs. 0.5", 1280x960 resolution, 1H'22 intro. Thoughts?

— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) October 22, 2020

sources have informed him that Apple actually plans to use Sony’s microdisplay technology for its head-mounted accessories.

A generic model of AR glasses

According to FRAMOS, a provider of embedded vision technologies, Sony OLED microdisplays are small, state-of-the-art displays with an ultra-fast response rate, extremely high contrast, a wide color gamut for precise color reproduction, high luminance, low reflectivity and Other advantages that would be ideal for Apple’s glasses:

OLED microdisplays (Organic LED) from SONY® Semiconductor Solutions are state-of-the-art small video displays that offer fast response, high-contrast image technology and precise color reproduction. The very thin displays offer greater visual impact for applications in AR / VR / MR, broadcast, electronic viewfinder, industrial maintenance and medicine. With a large aperture and high luminance, a wide color spectrum, less reflectivity and a high dynamic range, they work at extreme speed without showing motion blur.

Sony microdisplays also have built-in drivers for a thin and light design. Energy-saving modes are available for longer battery life.

Young said the glasses will use a 0.5-inch display with a resolution of 1,280 x 960, and those specs appear to correspond to Sony’s ECX337A component. In particular, according to Sony’s website, this microdisplay has a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits, an ultra-high contrast of 100,000: 1 and an ultra-fast response rate of 0.01 ms or less.
The high contrast of Sony microdisplays means that an additional level of information can be displayed seamlessly and not as an overlay. “This information is simply added to the background for a real AR experience,” says FRAMOS.

According to the Nikkan Kogyo ShimbunApple plans to release its AR / VR glasses in 2021, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo doesn’t expect a release until 2022 at the earliest. Young also believes the glasses will be launched in the first half of 2022. For a roundup of all the rumors so far, check out our detailed Apple Glasses Summary.