Apple Watch Series 6 may offer far better battery life and an always-on display

All thanks to a new display technology

Apple Watch Series 6 may be slimmer and offer far better battery life
(Image credit: Apple)

If there's one feature we could request from a new Apple Watch, it would be that the battery life is measured in weeks rather than days. While that may be a few years off, Apple is making some advancements in this area, and it could start appearing as soon as the Apple Watch Series 6.

According to a report from the Economic Daily News, Apple is switching from using OLED screens to microLED screens.

This is because microLED screens are more power-efficient than the OLED screens that Apple currently uses for the Apple Watch.

Switching from OLED to microLED also frees up more space inside the Apple Watch, as the technology is much smaller. The extra space could be used for a larger battery, or for more health and fitness features.

Oh, and one final benefit is that microLED panels are less susceptible to burn-in artefacts compared to OLED. This could allow Apple to implement and always-on display in the future.

This would mean the Apple Watch would constantly display your watch face (or a simplified version of the watch face), allowing you to check the time without having to wake the screen (which can be awkward in some instances). This is a feature that Wear OS and Samsung Galaxy Watch owners have been enjoying for years.

Obviously, if Apple did create an always-on display option then the larger battery and more power efficient screen would probably used to maintain the current battery life, which is around one or two days, rather than extend the battery life. This is all speculation, however.

There's also no guarantee that change to microLED will actually happen, but the EDN report states Apple has signed deals with two new Taiwanese suppliers for microLED tech, so it looks likely.

It seems that the new technology won't be ready for the Apple Watch Series 5 in September though, so we can expect to see the new technology appearing next year (2020) with the launch of the Apple Watch Series 6.

It's certainly a big announcement for Apple Watch fans, bringing with it an exciting range of possibilities, but which would you prefer, an always-on display or longer battery life?

Via: TechRadar

Spencer Hart
Style and Travel Editor

As the Style and Travel Editor at T3, Spencer covers everything from clothes to cars and watches to hotels. Everything that's cool, stylish, and interesting, basically. He's been a part of T3 for over seven years, and in that time covered every industry event known to man, from CES and MWC to the Geneva Motorshow and Baselworld. When he's driving up and down the country in search of the greatest driving roads, he can be found messing around on an electric scooter, playing with luxury watches, or testing the latest fragrances.