Apple considers 90 Hertz screen for iMac, OLED in MacBook Pro probably later
Apple is working on improved screens for iMac, Studio Display and iPad, according to the rumor mill. Rumors indicate a delay in the OLED MacBook Pro launch.
Apple Studio Display next to Mac Studio: time for an update.
(Image: Apple)
A lot has happened at Apple in 2024 in the area of display technology: the iPad Pro M4 was the first tablet with an OLED display, the matte nano-textured glass was optionally extended to the iPad Pro M4, iMac M4 and MacBook Pro M4 and the Apple Watch Series 10 was given greater viewing angle independence thanks to LTPO3. But what will happen in the future? Two new rumors concern both the screen refresh rate of the devices and the further expansion of organic light-emitting diodes.
Not 120, but 90 hertz?
According to a report from the Upgrade Podcast, in which former Macworld editor Jason Snell took part, Apple is working on LCDs with a higher refresh rate called "Liquid Motion". Although these are not supposed to achieve the 120 Hertz ("ProMotion") we are used to from the MacBook Pro and iPhone Pro, they should still achieve 90 Hertz. The technology is intended for an upcoming iPad Air M3, the iMac M5 or a revised Studio Display, among other things.
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Previously, there had been rumors that Apple would be equipping at least all iPhone 17 models expected in autumn 2025 with ProMotion displays (with 120 Hertz) for the first time – and no longer just the Pro variants. The iPad Air M3 is currently expected in spring, an iMac M5 could still take a while, as could a new Studio Display, which was first launched in March 2022.
It remains unclear why exactly Apple is leaning towards 90 instead of 120 hertz. The company is currently stuck at 60 hertz for the models mentioned. Even the extremely expensive Pro Display XDR, which is now rather outdated, still lacks ProMotion.
OLED possibly only later
A second display topic currently doing the rounds concerns a completely new type of display for the MacBook Pro. Apple continues to stubbornly rely on LCD here, although its Windows competitors have also been offering OLEDs for years. The reason for this is allegedly Apple's high demands on quality and durability. While it was previously thought that a redesign of Apple's portable professional computers was due next year, the company now appears to have postponed this to 2026.
This is what the usually well-informed Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman wrote in his latest newsletter. It states that a real overhaul with OLED and a thinner design for the MacBook Pro is "probably" planned for 2026. The 2025 model with M5 would then only be a speed bump. Allegedly, work on the M5, M5 Pro and M5 Max is already almost complete.
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