Competition for Microdisplays in AR Glasses: Who Will Prevail Between LEDoS and LCoS?
The convergence of AI and AR technology advancements has led to a growing trend of AI/AR glasses being released, continuing from last year into the present. Meta is expected to announce its next-generation product, the ‘Hypernova’ smart glasses (Meta Celeste), at the Meta Connect 2025 conference scheduled for the 17th of this month (US time), drawing significant attention. Rumors suggest the display applied to the glasses will be an LCoS microdisplay panel. It is speculated that it will be a small, lightweight monocular HUD application, likely using a common LCoS 720×720 resolution product. It’s also speculated that the choice was influenced by the fact that implementing color with LEDoS panels requires using RGB mono panels in a cubic configuration, and Meta relies on the Chinese supplier JBD as the primary provider.
Last July in Shanghai, Alibaba Group unveiled its first AI glasses, the Quark glasses. They are targeting a launch within China by the end of the year. Regarding the display and optics, it was reported to use a monochrome (green) Micro-LED + waveguide structure, with JBD mentioned as the supplier. This product is a Micro-LED AR glass focused on HUD/information display, known for its design prioritizing outdoor readability, low power consumption, and lightweight characteristics. Additionally, Rokid’s smart glasses also employ mono Micro-LED + diffractive waveguides in both left and right lenses. Rokid announced that its smart glasses surpassed 40,000 units sold within just five days of starting online pre-orders on September 1st. China currently holds significant expectations for AI/AR smart glasses, with many companies adopting domestically produced LEDoS panels.
Competition between LEDoS and LCoS microdisplays is expected to continue in AR glasses. At the UBI Research Display Strategy Seminar held on September 5, a comparison of the competitiveness and outlook for LEDoS and LCoS was presented.
Comparison of near-eye headsets/glasses with LCoS (Source: UBI Research)
Comparison of AR glasses using LEDoS (Source: UBI Research)
According to comparative analysis, for AR smart glasses targeting information display (HUD), translation, and interactive functions via displays with resolutions of 2VGA or 1080p and below, micro-LED-applied glasses were judged to be highly competitive in terms of form factor, power consumption, contrast, and image quality. For future immersive AR headsets and glasses products around 2K resolution, mutual competition is anticipated as each technology compensates for the other’s shortcomings. Smart glasses set manufacturers are expected to choose micro-displays based on price, strategic partnerships, or supply chain considerations. Ultimately, through the continued advancement of LEDoS technology, the adoption of small, lightweight, high-quality LEDoS panels is projected to expand within a few years.
Namdeog Kim, Senior Analyst at UBI Research(ndkim@ubiresearch.com)
2025 Micro-LED Display Industry and Technology Trends Report
