Skip to main content

Future Macs will borrow this awesome tech from the iPad Pro

Apple’s Spring Loaded event revealed a new iPad Pro with a mini-LED screen that Apple has dubbed the “Liquid Retina XDR” display. Packed with more than 10,000 LEDs, it could be a massive improvement over the previous iPad Pro. But it looks like Apple is not stopping there — according to industry analyst TrendForce, Apple is going to bring the same tech to the MacBook later this year.

Specifically, TrendForce believes both the 14-inch MacBook Pro and its 16-inch sibling will be outfitted with this tech. That backs up earlier reports from DigiTimes and reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who have both claimed Apple has mini-LED MacBooks in its pipeline.

In light of Apple’s recent iPad Pro launch, it now seems likely that Apple will use the same Liquid Retina XDR name for the panels in its upcoming MacBooks. In the iPad Pro, this tech offers 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness, 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

In comparison, the M1 MacBook Pro — which offers the best display in any MacBook and one of the brightest screens of all laptops — can “only” hit 485 nits of full-screen brightness and a contrast ratio of 1,470:1. While that is currently industry-leading, it might soon be blown away by what Apple can offer when it adopts mini-LED screens in its next MacBooks.

There is no guarantee a Liquid Retina XDR display in a MacBook would hit those iPad Pro levels, as a portable tablet and a laptop are used very differently and held at different distances from your face. But it does show what a huge difference the mini-LED tech can make — and might give some hints as to what we can roughly expect when Apple brings it to future MacBooks.

Macbook Electric Color
Dmitry Chernyshov/Unsplash

If the rumors prove true, a Liquid Retina XDR display could be just one of the interesting new features coming to the MacBook Pro in 2021. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is expected to be a wide-ranging overhaul of the current 13-inch design, with thinner bezels allowing for a larger display, more port variety (including the return of MagSafe), a squared-off design like the new iMac, and much more. It might even ditch the Touch Bar.

Editors' Recommendations

Alex Blake
In ancient times, people like Alex would have been shunned for their nerdy ways and strange opinions on cheese. Today, he…
New Macs may be announced this month. Here’s what to expect
Apple Continuity image showing iPhone use as MacBook webcam.

Apple regularly launches new products in March, and it looks like this year will be no different. We don't have a specific date yet, but it's been reported that numerous new Macs and iPads are rumored to launch in just a few weeks’ time, with a bunch of enticing changes reportedly heading our way.

If you’re in the market for a new MacBook, March could be a great time to pick one of the new releases up. Here's what we're expecting to steal the limelight.
The M3 MacBook Air is coming

Read more
I tried the Apple Vision Pro. Here’s why it won’t replace my iPhone
Christine wearing the Apple Vision Pro demo unit.

The Apple Vision Pro is one of Apple’s most fascinating new product launches. It’s the first new product line from Apple since the Apple Watch, but the hype around it has been more like when Apple first introduced the original iPhone. Of course, Apple was not the first to the market with a VR/AR headset, but it is definitely what would be considered the most “mainstream” option out there, considering the brand name.

When Apple announced the Apple Vision Pro on June 5, 2023, during its WWDC 2023 keynote, I was excited. After years of rumors, it was finally happening. Preorders started on January 19, 2024, and the  Apple Vision Pro launched on February 2, 2024, in the U.S. The problem? It costs at least $3,500, making it a hard sell for many as a first-generation Apple product.

Read more
The MacBook Pro is a good enough gaming laptop for me
Halo running on a MacBook Pro.

I'm not a hardcore gamer. But like a lot of people, I like to dabble here and there. Looking at my limited Steam account, I find a handful of remotely current titles I've enjoyed lately, including Baldur's Gate 3 and Civilization VI.

When I fully converted to a MacBook Pro from Windows, I didn't expect to have even my limited gaming needs met. I figured it would just be something I'd lose in the transition. To my surprise, I've found myself quite enjoying the experience of gaming on my M3 Max MacBook Pro 16-inch. It won't be enough to satisfy gamers, but it was enough to get me excited for the future of gaming on the Mac.
Where the Metal meets the microchip

Read more