Apple Reportedly Working on 90Hz Studio Display, iMac, iPad Air

[MacRumors]

A new rumor suggests Apple is developing 90Hz display technology that could make its way to future versions of the Studio Display, iPad Air, and 24-inch iMac, all of which currently feature 60Hz refresh rates.

The claim, spotted by 9to5Mac, comes from an anonymous source who contacted the Upgrade podcast, hosted by Myke Hurley and Jason Snell. According to the source, Apple is working on "a higher refresh rate LCD display with a new liquid motion panel fixed at around 90Hz," with plans to implement the technology across multiple products.

Such a development would be particularly noteworthy for the Studio Display, which hasn't received any hardware updates since its March 2022 launch. Many Apple users had hoped to see a refreshed model before the end of 2024, amid on-again, off-again rumors about a potential upgrade featuring mini-LED technology and ProMotion support. Apple's higher-end Pro Display XDR has also remained unchanged since its 2019 debut.

Display analyst Ross Young, who is known for accurate predictions about Apple's display technology, reported in April 2023 that Apple had abandoned plans for a 27-inch monitor with mini-LED backlighting. That canceled project, which could have been a next-generation Studio Display, was said to include the use of ProMotion technology with refresh rates up to 120Hz. Earlier, Young had anticipated such a display launching in 2022, but the release never materialized.

According to the anonymous source, the 90Hz display technology will debut first in the next-generation M3 iPad Air, expected in early 2025, before expanding to other products. The 24-inch iMac, which just received an M4 update, likely wouldn't see this display improvement until late 2025 at the earliest.

The current Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K LCD panel with 60Hz refresh rate, P3 wide color support, and up to 600 nits brightness, starting at $1,599.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Working on 90Hz Studio Display, iMac, iPad Air

 

[Jack25]

Strange there's no mention of the MacBook Air though.

 

[omenatarhuri]

90hz? What an odd choice.

But it's more than 60hz, so take my money!

 

[RumorConsumer]

Strange there's no mention of the MacBook Air though.

Put that baby in an Air and I reckon I’ll be possibly trading in the MBP

 

[MakeAppleAwesomeAgain]

That's embarrassing; just make it 120Hz. They have all the technologies in-house.

 

[singularity0993]

With Thunderbolt 5 there's no reason to make it less than 120hz

 

[gpat]

For the love of God stick a motherboard back there and make it an iMac like it was supposed to be in the first place.

 

[ThatsMeRight]

If true, iPhone 17 likely also will be 90 Hz. Gotta keep 120 Hz for Pro models.

Regardless, already a big improvement. I've got an OLED laptop with 90 Hz refresh rate and it feels much more like 120 Hz than 60 Hz in terms of smoothness.

 

[gusping]

Knowing Apple it will be a 60hz panel running at 90hz, aka a horrible mess with slow response times.

 

[Kylo83]

Why not 120hz

 

[mystery hill]

90Hz?

$200 Android phones have 120Hz OLED panels.

 

[Admiral]

I already have a reasonably priced 5K2K monitor ($725), and it has 120Hz refresh rate and a zero dead pixels guarantee. Some gamers have groused about the pixel response rate being "low" (i.e., not 2ms), but I haven't noticed any ghosting or blurriness, so I suppose it's well-matched to 120MHz. Anyway, I mainly do Microsoft Word, email, and light video editing of a guy mainly sitting in the same place and talking. If it were NASCAR or UFC maybe I'd be dissatisfied.

Apple Studio Display at 90Hz is a Don't Buy! for me. A shame, as I have heretofore been a pretty solid customer for Apple displays.

 

[DrJR]

We get this thing to fold up and I'm in.

 

[rotvaldi]

Too many years later… I guess iPhone 17 goes that way aswell

 

[t0rqx]

90hz? What an odd choice.

But it's more than 60hz, so take my money!

My cousin works at Apple Engineering. They use 90Hz for the upcoming 5 years and then later will update to 120Hz to keep revenue going.

 

[Jay Tee]

This story doesn't make a lot of sense. Apple were actually selling a few million 27" iMacs for years. It could just be that the 24" covers most requirements with the 27" being the outliers.

I'd love to have a 27", but I can't guarantee I'd like it, even with fancy toy features. Reliability comes first.

 

[fullauto]

Ridiculous.. all the money in the world and can’t do 120Hz. Moves like these show you up Apple.

 

[SpotOnT]

Oh god - just go 120hz!

This would be so stupid!

 

[MichaelDroste]

Too expensive- other choices available for less…

 

[Pakaku]

90Hz?

$200 Android phones have 120Hz OLED panels.

I know phone screens are enormous these days, but that's still a tiny phone screen vs. a huge desktop monitor

 

[vantelimus]

90Hz?

$200 Android phones have 120Hz OLED panels.

One does: the CMF-1. The most common refresh rate for android phones is 60Hz. 120Hz is mostly reserved for higher-end phones costing $800 and above. Nothing, maker of CMF-1, is the outlier who could push the industry in the right direction. However, they are a relatively new player with a minuscule market share. While their displays are excellent, their cameras have been criticized for color inconsistencies, poor low-light performance, exposure instabilities, and limited dynamic range. So, for $200, you can get a good display, but you are going to get a lousy camera. TANSTAAFL.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

24 inch iMac. People will love that...

 

[iSandrotto]

Finally some new rumors about the Studio Display refresh. I've been waiting for months and there hasn't been any rumors at all just unfounded wish lists floating around. I hope this hints at a refresh to be announced next year alongside the M4 Mac Studio. Let's see if Gurman picks up on this and adds some additional info in one of his upcoming newsletters...

 

[smirking]

How much noticeable difference between 90Hz and 120Hz? I already don't notice anything different between 60 and 120Hz unless I'm looking for it, but I'm not gaming.

Would there be any benefit to going halfway to 90Hz? Is that enough bandwidth savings that a MacStudio would be able to drive three 27" displays at 90Hz instead of two at 120Hz?

 

[majkom]

Groundbreaking! Bleeding edge tech! Only Apple can do that!