Leak calls for no change to Apple Watch Series 6 display

If a Twitter tipster is correct, don't expect the Apple Watch Series 6 to look any different than the Apple Watch Series 5. In fact, it reminds us of an ad that Samsung ran making fun of iPhone 4s buyers in line to buy what was then the latest and greatest iPhone. One of those on line says about the new model, "If it looks the same how will people know I upgraded?" A tweet, posted by @L0vetodream says that "in my dream the Apple Watch S6 will continue use the display from JDI." The tipster usually prefaces his tips by saying "In my dreams."

First, we should point out that this tipster does have a history of leaking legit information pertaining to upcoming Apple devices. And the tweet is referring to the currently employed OLED panel for the timepiece that is sourced from Japan Display (JDI). The latter has had some financial difficulties since it bet the farm on LCD panels and was late to join the OLED party. Apple still counts on JDI to supply LCD displays for some iPhone and iPad models and starting with the Series 5, it supplies the 1.57-inch display for the Apple Watch. Apple reportedly invested $200 million in JDI's restructuring giving it skin in the game.

If the tipster is correct, the upcoming Apple Watch will not spot a microLED panel as some have suggested. The latter doesn't require a backlight, a trait it shares with OLED panels. But it is thinner, brighter, and consumes less battery power. These screens are also less likely to suffer from burn-in as some OLED panels are. Perhaps we will see microLED employed on 2021's Apple Watch Series 7.

The Apple Watch Series 5 is equipped with a low-temperature poly-silicon and oxide display (LTPO) that can switch from a 60Hz refresh rate (the screen is updated 60 times per second) to an extremely sloth-like 1Hz rate (screen is updated just one-time per second). That makes the display perfect for the wearable's always-on feature introduced with the Series 5. The drop off in the screen refresh rate allows the device to offer all-day battery life.

Internal changes are destined to make up the changes to the Apple Watch Series 6; we expect to see the long-awaited native sleep tracking feature. And joining the lineup of Apple Watch features that have actually saved lives (such as the heart-rate monitor, the electrocardiogram, and the fall detector), this year the most popular smartwatch in the world is expected to add a pulse oximeter. This tool is used to measure the oxygen levels in your red blood cells. A normal reading is in the range of 95% to 100% and indicates that your heart is doing its job and is pumping blood throughout your body. A reading of 92% or lower could be an early warning sign of a problem. The pulse oximeter has recently been in the news after some doctors found that O2 saturation levels as low as 55% without any distress could be an early warning sign of COVID-19.

Earlier this year, there was some speculation about Apple adding Touch ID to the next Apple Watch. The rumor called for the biometric sensor to be located on the watch's Digital Crown.

The Apple Watch Series 6 is expected to be unveiled in September at the same time that Apple introduces the 2020 5G iPhone 12 series. During the first quarter of this year, the Apple Watch had a commanding 55.5% global market share according to Statista with Samsung a distant second with a 13.9% slice of the worldwide smartwatch pie.