February 2026

Aixtron reported its financial results for Q4 2025, saying that it has succeeded to achieve robust financial results in a soft market environment for 2025.

Looking at the microLED sector, Aixtron said that 2025 saw a slowdown (this was reported by Aixtron before). Looking ahead, Aixtron expects its microLED segment to remain 'stable' - which likely means it sees 2026 generating similar business to that in 2025.

UBI Research shared an interesting analysis of the cost model of a 101-inch direct-view microLED TV. UBI listed 46 components and processes items for producing the TV, saying that the cost to produce it is around $52,000.

As you can see in the chart above, around 85% of the cost comes from two components - the microLED pixels and the backplane. By pixel, the company refers to the entire frontplane of the display. 

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have designed a microLED with an increased beam spread and efficiency, that could replace traditional lasers in short-range data communication or display applications.

The researchers used distributed Bragg reflectors to laterally enclose the emitting region of the LED, and thus engineer the light emission. This new microLED architecture increased the emission output by 130% from the substrate side and 20% from the air-side, when compared to standard reference devices. The researchers also reported a 30% reduction in beam divergence.

In September Garmin launched its Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED smartwatch, the world's first microLED wearable, with a 1.4" 454x454 4,500 nits round display, produced by AUO. When it launched, the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED had a price tag of $1,999 (a $700 premium over the AMOLED version). 

Now Garmin reduced the price by $300, and it now lists at $1,699. The price of the AMOLED version did not change, it is still at $1,299 - so now the premium is only $400. 

Following highly successful past editions, MicroLED Connect + AR/VR Connect returns for its 3rd year on 16–17 September 2026 at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, The Netherlands – a leading deep‑tech hub and home to a thriving display innovation ecosystem. Bringing together the global microLED and immersive‑display community, the event will once again unite researchers, equipment and materials suppliers, device makers, integrators, brands, and investors under one roof.

With the 2026 program rapidly taking shape, limited speaking opportunities remain. We are now inviting contributions on topics such as:

• Advances in InGaN / GaN epitaxy and wafer‑level processes for microLEDs
• Monolithic RGB integration, quantum‑dot and other color‑conversion approaches
• High‑throughput mass transfer, wafer‑to‑wafer / backplane / hybrid bonding
• MicroLED inspection, testing, repair, and yield optimization
• Optical interconnect light engines
• MicroLED microdisplays and light engines for AR / VR / MR / XR
• System‑level architectures and applications in automotive, wearables, TVs, and beyond
• Production equipment, process integration, and pathways to scalable manufacturing
• Market analysis, adoption trends, and commercial deployment case studies

If you are driving progress in microLED or immersive‑display technologies, we would be delighted to have you share your perspective with the global community. MicroLED Connect + AR/VR Connect 2026 is co‑located conference and exhibition powered by TechBlick and the MicroLED Industry Association.

Join us in shaping the conversation around the next phase of microLED and AR/VR innovation. If you are interested in speaking, exhibiting, or attending, we encourage you to get in touch – we look forward to welcoming you in Eindhoven.

US-based signage developer Daktronics demonstrated its latest microLED module display technology at ISE 2026. The demonstration is of a small microLED tile (6.2-inch, 640x320), based on a micro-IC driving technology, with a 0.18 mm pixel pitch.

Daktronics says that its microLED displays can achieve a brightness of 4500 nits. This panel is based on IP and technology by X Display Company (XDC), which Daktronics acquired in December 2025.

Korea's ETRI demonstrated a 4,000 PPI 720x540 monochrome microLED display, produced using its proprietary SITRAB bonding technology. The researchers at ETRI says that this demonstration showcases a scalable alternative to hybrid bonding for ultra-high-resolution integration.

1 µm Solder Bumps at 4 µm Pitch, enabling a 4000 PPI microLEDF

The device was fabricated by bonding microLED chips to a silicon backplane using a Cu pillar / Sn solder cap structure with approximately 1 µm bump diameter and 4 µm bump pitch. 

Omdia says that microLED display panel revenues will double in 2026, reaching $105.4 million, up from $52.4 million in 2025. The market is still very small and limit, Omdia says that rapidly maturing manufacturing capabilities and new product adoption are expected to drive significant shipment and revenue growth in the near term.

Most of the growth in the near future will be driven by AR microdisplays and large-area signage displays (which Omdia refers to as public displays). Omdia, like most other analysts, expect microLEDs to grow first in specialized application markets where competing technologies cannot meet performance requirements. - and these include ultra-large tiled displays and ultra-small ultra-high-brightness microdisplay.

Today we published a new edition of our MicroLED and OLED Microdisplays Market Report, with all the latest information. The new edition offers over 30 new updates, including new companies, new developments, and new devices. The AR industry is moving at a very fast pace, and both OLED and MicroLED technologies are leading the race to power AR headset displays.

Reading this report, you'll learn all about:

• The advantages of OLED and MicroLED microdisplays
• The microdisplays that are available on the market today
• Information on all companies involved in this market
• Future technologies and roadmaps

The report package also provides:

• A list of all OLED microdisplays on the market
• A list of all OLED and MicroLED microdisplays makers
• Microdisplays spreadsheet
• Over 25 datasheets, presentations
• Free updates for a year

This microdisplays market report provides a great introduction to MicroLED and OLED microdisplays, and covers everything you need to know about the current status of the market and industry. This is a great guide if you're considering to adopt OLED microdisplays in your product, if you're looking to learn more about next-generation micro-LEDs and if you want to understand this industry better.

STRATACACHE announced that it is engaging customers to provide domestically produced GaN-on-Silicon microLED epiwafers, aimed at both display and photonics applications. The move is part of the company’s broader strategy to scale North American microLED production at the companies Eugene Photonics Foundry and reduce dependence on Asian supply chains.

According to CEO Chris Riegel, the Eugene, Oregon fab is now accepting orders for Q3-Q4 200mm wafer production and is actively engaging with foundry customers in the photonics and display sectors. Riegel notes the growing demand for uLED-based photonic interconnects and highlights that “besides our Eugene Photonics Foundry, there is no scale domestic (U.S.) Gan-on-Silicon microLED manufacturing.”