New iPad Pros Support Lower Refresh Rate, But Lack Always-On Display
The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are equipped with OLED displays that support a refresh rate as low as 10Hz, but the devices still lack an always-on display option like the iPhone and Apple Watch have, according to Apple's tech specs.
While the iPad Pro has supported ProMotion since 2017, the device only supported refresh rates between 24Hz and 120Hz until now. The new iPad Pro models use low-power LTPO technology, according to display industry expert Ross Young, allowing the display to ramp down to 10Hz for static content. This change will contribute to lower power consumption, but advertised battery life is unchanged overall compared to the previous iPad Pro generation.
The same situation happened a few years ago with the iPhone 13 Pro models, which also support ProMotion down to 10Hz, but lack an always-on display option. The feature finally arrived on the iPhone with the iPhone 14 Pro models, which can ramp down to 1Hz, and Apple Watch models with an always-on display also reach 1Hz.
All in all, the iPad Pro is unlikely to get an always-on display option until if and when it too supports a 1Hz refresh rate.
Apple says the iPad Pro now features "state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology that uses two OLED panels and combines the light from both to provide phenomenal full-screen brightness." The new iPad Pro models can achieve up to 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness for SDR content, compared to 600 nits for the previous-generation models.
The new iPad Pro models are available to order starting today and launch on Wednesday, May 15.
Popular Stories
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors.
Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.
iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design
The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years.
iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack)
At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
