Overview
- Industry reports on Tuesday say Apple is evaluating high‑mobility oxide (HMO) thin‑film transistor backplanes developed by LG Display as a possible successor to LTPO for Apple Watch displays.
- HMO targets much higher electron mobility than current oxide TFTs so the screen can switch pixels faster while using less power, which would directly reduce display energy use and extend battery life.
- LG is reportedly developing HMO on Gen‑6 lines using a sputtering deposition method that is faster to fit into existing fabs, while Samsung Display is said to be exploring atomic layer deposition, a slower but more precise process.
- LG still must validate HMO for mass production by proving mobility, uniformity, reliability, process temperature limits, and acceptable yield, so any commercial rollout is conditional rather than confirmed.
- If validation succeeds the Apple Watch is likely to be the first device to use HMO before wider adoption in iPhones, a path that could lower manufacturing complexity compared with LTPO and change how Apple balances display suppliers.