Apple Approves Mac App Store App with 'Retina Graphics'

As noted by The Next Web, Apple late yesterday approved an update to the Mac app FolderWatch [Mac App Store] that lists "Retina graphics" as one of the changes.

folderwatch retina graphics
The report suggests that the application's developer may possibly have been given advance notice of Retina Mac displays by Apple, but we believe that to be unlikely and assume that the developer included the improved graphics based on circulating rumors and Apple's existing HiDPI modes quietly built into its recent operating system versions. Supporting the latter speculation, the developer issued a Tweet earlier today indicating that the "Retina" claim simply refers to the HiDPI mode already seen in OS X.

Still, Apple approved the update with "Retina graphics" listed as the first bullet point in the "What's new" section regarding the update, suggesting that the mention was at least seen by reviewers who approved the update as it was submitted. Consequently, the move is gaining significant attention as a potential signal from Apple itself that Retina-capable Macs are on their way next week.

Of course, it is unlikely that even Apple's Mac App Store reviewers have been briefed on upcoming Mac capabilities, so we hesitate to make too much of the news at this point.

Apple is expected to introduce a Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro at a minimum next week, with the feature expected to make its way into Apple's other display-equipped Mac models over time.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
top stories 2025 12 20

Top Stories: iOS 26.3 Beta, Major Apple Leaks, and More

Saturday December 20, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates. This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories! Top Stories i...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Brings AirPods-Like Pairing to Third-Party Devices in EU Under DMA

Monday December 22, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
The European Commission today praised the interoperability changes that Apple is introducing in iOS 26.3, once again crediting the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with bringing "new opportunities" to European users and developers. The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party accessories with the same capabilities and access to device features that Apple's own products get. In iOS...
ios 18 security update

Don't Want to Upgrade to iOS 26? Here's How to Stay on iOS 18 [Update: Now Unavailable]

Friday December 19, 2025 10:37 am PST by
Since the beginning of December, Apple has been pushing iPhone users who opted to stay on iOS 18 to install iOS 26 instead. Apple started by making the iOS 18 upgrades less visible, and has now transitioned to making new iOS 18 updates unavailable on any device capable of running iOS 26. If you have an iPhone 11 or later, Apple is no longer offering new versions of iOS 18, even though there...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
iPhone Chips

Apple Clings to Samsung as RAM Prices Soar

Monday December 22, 2025 6:17 am PST by
Apple is significantly increasing its reliance on Samsung for iPhone memory as component prices surge, according to The Korea Economic Daily. Apple is said to be expanding the share of iPhone memory it sources from Samsung due to rapidly rising memory prices. The shift is expected to result in Samsung supplying roughly 60% to 70% of the low-power DRAM used in the iPhone 17, compared with a...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...

Top Rated Comments

themcfly Avatar
177 months ago
if any of those minor developer could get any hint on those retina display, it would be all over the place in a matter of minutes... just a trick to get some publicity.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OneMike Avatar
177 months ago
Great way to get free publicity
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
applesith Avatar
177 months ago
If i had an App, I'd do the same thing. Free advertising on MR :)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
syndalis Avatar
177 months ago
Apple's Apps already have HIDPI options that you can code for, and you can build in "retina" display elements with your own apps in xcode that will be used if HIDPI mode is toggled.

People are just getting ready, is all.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sarsonj Avatar
177 months ago
It is possible to change "What's new" after the Apple review

We as a developers can change What's new and app description after app is reviewed and ready to sale, so that the assumption that review team had to accept this retina graphics note is wrong.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rudy69 Avatar
177 months ago
It's not very hard to support "Retina" displays on OSX. Doesn't mean that they're coming, I could have added "support" to my games 6 months ago.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)