14 DAY TRIAL // Launched last year as a way to get market share from Garmin, the Apple Watch Ultra is currently Apple’s number one smartwatch and the one that seems to get the most love from the company in the long term.
But as compared to the regular Apple Watch, the Ultra is unlikely to get breaking upgrades every year, with some sources claiming the Cupertino-based tech giant could stick with a two-year upgrade cycle for this particular model.
When the next model comes out (it could be announced in 2023 and then released in 2024, two years after the original version), Apple Watch Ultra will make the switch to a larger screen. And eventually it could be a lot more expensive.
Research firm Omdia says it’s all because of the Micro LED display that Apple plans to use on the Apple Watch Ultra. As compared to OLED, Micro LED technology is nearly three times more expensive, and as such, the final price of the smartwatch could also go up.
“Omdia estimates the Apple Watch’s Micro LED 2.13/2.2-inch screen with 556x452 resolution will be manufactured at $115 in 2024. The touch and cover lens will be added, costing an additional $10. Compared with the average price of a 2.0-inch flexible OLED, which is $38–40, Micro LED display costs will triple. The key cost elements are not just the Micro LED chips but also the LTPO backplane, the mass transfer, the modulation, the driver IC, the testing and repair, and the final assembly,” the company says in recent research.
Given Apple will go for bigger displays, the company will pass part of the cost to customers, so the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is expected to be more expensive
It could exceed $1,200, but it’s up to Apple to figure out a price point where such a device would remain attractive to customers.