AI technology is making a soft landing and the AI era is opening up. Recently, the competition among big tech companies to become the winner of the AI war has become more intense. It is expected that the multimodal technology of AI will renew the market’s perception of AI functions through interactions such as voice, video, and photos. AI/AR glasses are expected to be more popular as they have a viewing function and are equipped with various sensors such as cameras, microphones, and speakers to access data, voice, or displays in real time to complete interactions. Accordingly, AI/AR glasses have received a lot of attention in the past year.

Ray-Ban META AI Glasses (left) and META Orion AR Glasses Prototype (right) (source: META)

The Ray-Ban smart glasses can be seen as Meta’s present, and the Orion project as its future. In September 2024, Meta unveiled the Orion glasses prototype, showcasing the new possibilities of AR glasses with innovative display technology. Micro LED was adopted as the display solution for the Orion AR glasses. AR glasses require ultra-high brightness (5,000 nits or more, ideally 10,000 nits or more) to be visible in outdoor environments. In addition, micro-LEDs are essential for lightweight, compact display engines that are required for AR glasses to be very slim and stylish when they are worn.

JBD “Hummingbird Mini II” mono-color engine (0.15cc, 0.3 grams) and daily-use glasses (source: JBD)

“AI” was the highlight of CES 2025, and AI smart glasses were one of the main attractions. Companies such as Vuzix, Rokid, Goertek, and RayNeo introduced new AI glasses products that use micro-LEDs.

Among the manufacturers of micro-LED displays, China’s Jade Bird Display (JBD), a company specializing in micro-LED microdisplays, has begun mass production at its facility in Hefei with a manufacturing capacity of more than 100 million 0.13-inch micro-LED panels per year. In addition to US and European companies, Chinese and Taiwanese companies such as Sitan and Raysolve are moving quickly to develop and prepare for the production of LEDoS displays. At UBI Research’s seminar held on on February 14, a presentation was given on micro-LED technologies for XR and trends in the industry. AI glasses began to blossom in 2024 with the development of AI and AR technology, and more large manufacturers are expected to enter the market in 2025. AI/AR smart glasses are expected to promote the accelerated development of the AI/AR industry, and there are high expectations for the development of micro-LED technology.

UBI Research published a report on micro-LED technology for XR in January. This report summarizes the technology related to the production of LEDoS panels required for XR glasses. It will help to improve the understanding of LEDoS’s micro-LED technology and will be an important reference for companies developing micro-LED display technologies to plan the future direction of technological development.

UBI Research Nam Deog Kim Analyst(ndkim@ubiresearch.com)

Micro-LED Display Technologies for XR Applications Report Sample