At Apple’s recent “Let Loose” event, the tech giant unveiled the latest additions to its iPad Pro lineup, featuring 11-inch and 13-inch models powered by the cutting-edge M4 processor. The highlight of this year’s update is the introduction of OLED displays, making these iPads the thinnest ever created by Apple, with a slim 5.1mm aluminum chassis.
The most significant enhancement to the new iPad Pro models is the adoption of OLED displays. These displays support a refresh rate as low as 10Hz, a significant departure from the previous models.
The incorporation of low-power LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) technology allows the display to adjust its refresh rate dynamically, down to 10Hz, to accommodate static content such as images. This not only contributes to a more efficient use of battery but also provides improved viewing experiences.
Despite the impressive OLED display and its variable refresh rate capability, the new iPad Pro models still lack the always-on display feature found in the iPhone and Apple Watch.
While the iPad Pro has supported ProMotion technology since 2017, offering refresh rates ranging from 24Hz to 120Hz, the absence of an always-on display option is noticeable.
Apple’s decision to forego this feature, despite the new iPad Pro’s capability to adjust its refresh rate down to 10Hz, suggests that the device may not support refresh rates as low as 1Hz, which is typically considered necessary for an always-on display.
Prominent display industry expert Ross Young suggests that future iterations of the iPad Pro may support refresh rates as low as 1Hz, similar to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models. However, until then, the always-on display feature may remain elusive for iPad Pro users.
Apart from the display upgrades, the new iPad Pro models boast other enhancements. Apple describes the display technology as “state-of-the-art tandem OLED,” utilizing two OLED panels to provide exceptional brightness. These new models can achieve up to 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness for SDR content, a significant improvement over the previous generation’s 600 nits.
Dive deeper into our Apple “Let Loose” event coverage:
- Apple unveils new M2 iPad Air in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes
- Apple Pencil Pro announced – Find My integration, haptic feedback, squeeze gesture and more
- Apple announces significant upgrade to Final Cut Pro and introduces new Final Cut Camera app
- Logic Pro 2 for iPad introduces AI-powered Session Players, Stem Splitter and more
