New display technology, new solutions
"More intuitive spatial computing interaction", "richer ecosystem support", "more powerful chip computing power"... There is no doubt that the Apple Vision Pro head-mounted display device has many advantages at the software level, and can even be said to provide the best solution in the industry at the moment.
However, the pain points from the hardware still need to be solved urgently. "Vision Pro seamlessly blends the real world with the digital world." Apple's description is very tempting, but in the field of XR, there is currently no device that can turn this vision into reality.
Among them, the key factor restricting the development of XR applications is the clarity of the display. Currently, the pixel density of mainstream XR devices on the market is generally around 1,000ppi. Viewed at a close distance, users can observe obvious graininess on the screen. The "screen door effect" caused by low resolution will also greatly reduce the sense of immersion.
It is generally believed in the industry that for XR images to be "fake and real", at least 8K resolution must be achieved on a display the size of a postage stamp, with a pixel ratio exceeding 5000ppi. The PPI of most mobile phone screens is only 400ppi, less than one-tenth of the former. Therefore, the technical difficulty of developing the microdisplay required for XR can only be described with the phrase "a dojo in a screw shell".
Fortunately, an industrial storm from the field of display technology has brought new solutions to the XR industry.
In recent years, new display technologies represented by MLED (Mini/Micro LED) and Micro OLED have gradually appeared. Such technologies can achieve higher pixel density in a very small area. Take this Apple Vision Pro as an example. This product uses Micro OLED technology and puts 23 million pixels into two displays, with a pixel density of about 3400ppi. Each eye is assigned more pixels than a 4K TV to achieve a more delicate visual presentation.
Although Micro OLED has many advantages in visual display, considering the current development status of the display industry, Micro OLED is not the optimal solution for the current display industry.
What is the ultimate answer to XR displays?
A few months ago, a piece of news ignited the MLED market: Apple and meta are looking for Micro LED microdisplay devices in China, and have placed several orders with many companies for proof-of-concept AR glasses.
You must know that because local manufacturers started late in the field of display technology and have relatively weak technology accumulation, they have been in a catch-up position for a long time. But now, whether in terms of core technology patents, industry chain maturity, cost control, etc., Chinese companies have ranked among the best in the world in the field of Micro LED. In terms of terminal products, at the beginning of this year, Xiaomi, OPPO and other manufacturers successively released a new generation of smart glasses devices, all using Micro LED display technology. In terms of industrial layout, midstream and upstream companies such as Konka Group have realized an integrated industrial chain layout with Micro LED chips as the core, epitaxy, chips, mass transfer, packaging and testing, and module manufacturing processes.
In the two key technical fields of mass transfer and epitaxy, the development of Chinese enterprises is also very eye-catching. Take Konka Group as an example. Since the establishment of Chongqing Konka Optoelectronics Technology Research Institute in 2019, Konka Group has continued to increase its investment in the field of new display technologies, promote the mass production of self-developed MLED technology, and cooperate with the upstream and downstream of the industry to jointly promote the MLED research and development process and achieve breakthroughs in the core "mass transfer" manufacturing link. Currently, Konka Group ranks first in the world in terms of the number of relevant patents, and its Micro LED public patent acceptance volume ranks among the top four in the world.
At the beginning of the establishment of the semiconductor department, Zhou Bin, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Konka Group, once said: "We will take 5-10 years to join the ranks of outstanding international semiconductor companies and strive to become the top 10 semiconductor companies in China.
Today, Konka's dream of making "cores" has become a reality, and public information It shows that the repaired three-color transfer yield rate of the "Hybrid Mass Transfer Technology" independently developed by Konka Group has reached 99.999%. Chongqing Konka Semiconductor Optoelectronics Technology Industrial Park has been officially put into production, and multiple industrialization projects such as MLED direct display mass production line and MLED chip mass production line have also been implemented.
However, there are still many obstacles to overcome before Micro LED technology can be fully implemented on XR smart glasses. Micro LED is relatively behind Micro OLED in terms of full-color technology development and mass production schedule, but it is still better than Micro OLED in terms of luminous efficiency, contrast, service life, power saving and many other specifications. The industry is also more inclined to regard Micro OLED as a transitional choice before Micro-LED industrialization matures.
In the medium to long term, Micro LED remains an excellent microdisplay light engine technology option. It is expected that Micro-LED output value will increase significantly from 2025 to 2026, mainly due to the improvement of production technology, improvement of yield rate and reduction of production costs.
Hundreds of rivals compete for success, and domestic products compete for the lead.
According to Bloomberg chief reporter Mark Gurman, Apple will launch an Ultra high-end series of products equipped with Micro LED screens on the next generation Apple Watch. The subtle thing is that the introduction of Micro LED screens is not the first of its kind. In 2020, Konka launched the world's first Micro LED watch. The product uses a self-developed 2-inch Micro LED microcrystalline screen. The chip is only 30 microns and the pitch is only 0.12 mm. This is also the Micro LED display with the smallest LED chip pitch in the world.
It is worth mentioning that MLED technology is not limited to XR, wearable devices, car smart screens and other fields, but can also be widely used in large-screen markets such as TV, live event broadcasts, and commercial demonstrations.
Despite the overall weakness of the TV industry, the development trend of Mini LED TV is relatively promising, becoming a new outlet leading the transformation and upgrading of the TV industry and renewing market consumption momentum. According to data from AVC, Mini LED TV sales will reach 395,000 units in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 385.3%. With the continuous advancement of commercialization and cost reduction and efficiency improvement, MLED will completely replace traditional LCD displays in the future.
The Konka brand is a typical case. Following the release of the cross-ecological smart scene screen APHAEA A6 Pro last year, at the recent AWE2023, Konka's TV products were further iteratively upgraded and launched the original painting-level Mini QD-LED A6 MAX, achieving stunning picture sharpness and clarity. Relying on the scientific and technological achievements and first-mover advantages achieved in MLED, Konka Group's industrial "moat" in the large-screen field has become increasingly solid.
Conclusion
Compared to Silicon Valley "big names" such as Microsoft, Google and Meta, Apple's attitude towards new technologies seems to be conservative. Therefore, many practitioners also regard this Apple conference as a "signal" that new display technology and the XR market are about to blow out.
From a macro perspective, in the context of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, more and more Chinese companies are stepping up to the forefront, aiming at the forefront of world science and technology, and shouldering the important responsibilities of the country. From the original CRT monitor, to the LCD screen in the early 21st century, to today's MLED, Chinese companies represented by Konka Group have gradually transformed from "chasers" in the industry to "leaders" in the industry, and have become "vanguards" in technological innovation.
ANNA