Apple's rumored virtual reality (VR) headset may feature a high resolution micro OLED display with up to 3,000 pixels-per-inch, according to Korea's The Elec.
Apple has reportedly requested a sample of a display component called a fine metal mask (FMM) from the South Korean company APS Holdings. Apple has specifically requested samples of an FMM that can deliver 3,000ppi high-resolution displays for use in virtual reality (VR) headsets, the report explains.
The company is expected to test the FMM sample to see if it is suitable for use in the mass-production of a VR device. An FMM is a metal material board used to deposit the red, green, and blue organic materials and form pixels in the production of OLED panels.
APS Holdings has developed an FMM with a more advanced laser patterning technique that can deliver much higher resolution micro OLED displays. The current FMMs used in the production of OLED displays for smartphones offer up to 600ppi with a wet etching technique, but APS Holdings' laser patterning FMM has much smaller holes to make 3,000ppi possible. Laser patterning is therefore said to be Apple's preferred manufacturing technique for the rumored headset's display.
APS Holdings' panel is also an RGB panel, rather than the white panel commonly used in OLED displays, meaning that it does not need a color filter. A micro OLED display also offers some additional advantages, such as pixel sizes in the range of four to 20 micrometers, compared to 40 to 300 micrometers with standard OLED panels. Moreover, micro OLED has a much faster microseconds response time which is also expected to make it more suitable for VR and augmented reality (AR) applications.
It has repeatedly been reported that Apple is attempting to develop advanced micro OLED displays for its VR and AR devices, but this is the first indication about the resolution that the company is seemingly aiming for with these products. The reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that micro OLED displays will enable a "see-through AR experience," as well as VR experiences.
