M4 MacBook Pro: Apple relies on quantum dots for the display

With the introduction of the M4 chips in the MacBook Pro, Apple has apparently also changed the display technology in its notebooks. As display expert Ross Young wrote on X, the company has switched from KSF phosphor technology to quantum dots (QD).

The quantum dots are used in the backlight of the screen. They are an additional layer between the white LED lighting and the LCD panel. When blue LED light hits the quantum dots, they convert it into very pure red and green light. This combination of blue, red and green light produces white light with a particularly broad and precise color spectrum.

Surprising change

It is surprising that Apple did not acknowledge this change in its presentation of the new Macs. According to Ross, the Quantum Dots offer good or even better color reproduction. They also ensure better motion display compared to the previous technology. This is because quantum dots can generate very specific wavelengths, which leads to a more accurate color representation than with conventional color filters or phosphors.

Potassium silicon fluoride phosphor, or KSF for short, previously offered Apple the advantage of being more efficient and not containing toxic cadmium. In the case of Quantum Dots, which are tiny semiconductor particles, there are new cadmium-free variants that offer the same advantages in terms of efficiency and the absence of toxic substances and go even further in terms of image display.

MacBook Pro also available with nano-textured glass

Apple unveiled new versions of the MacBook Pro at the end of October. These start with the basic model with M4 and extend to devices for larger requirements with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chip. Special attention is paid to the possibility of ordering nano-textured glass as an option.

(mki)