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The seventh beta of macOS Monterey, released earlier this week, includes a pair of new entries in a list of display resolutions for the System Information app, potentially revealing the resolutions of the upcoming "M1X" 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

M1X-MBP-Feature.jpg

As discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, the two new display resolutions are listed as "3456 x 2234 Retina" and "3024 x 1964 Retina" and do not correspond to resolutions of the built-in displays on any current or previous Apple products. Based on the resolutions themselves and their relationships to each other, it seems likely that these new resolutions are for the upcoming MacBook Pro.

The current 16-inch MacBook Pro has a native display resolution of 3072 x 1920, while the current 13-inch MacBook Pro's native resolution is 2560 x 1600, giving both machines a pixel density of 226–227 pixels per inch.

If these new resolutions are indeed for the upcoming MacBook Pro models, they would represent an increase in pixel density to around 250 pixels per inch, which notably would allow for native 2x Retina as the default setting for these new machines for the sharpest possible image.

macbook-pro-2021-resolutions.jpg

While users have several display resolution options to choose from, current MacBook Pro models feature scaled default resolutions that fall between the native display resolution and a 2x Retina display.

For example, the current 16-inch MacBook Pro with a native resolution of 3072 x 1920 would correspond to a 1536 x 960 display at true 2x Retina quality, but content on such a display with a 16-inch diagonal appears uncomfortably large for most users, so Apple ships the machines at a default scaled resolution that "looks like" 1792 x 1120.

With the apparent increased pixel density on these upcoming MacBook Pro models, a true 2x Retina setting would fall right in the sweet spot for most users, with the 16-inch model yielding a "looks like" resolution of 1728 x 1117 and the 14-inch model coming in at an apparent 1512 x 982.

Apple is rumored to be introducing the redesigned MacBook Pro models before the end of the year, likely at another media event in October or November.

Article Link: Upcoming 14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pro Display Resolutions Likely Revealed in Latest macOS Monterey Beta
 
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TravelsInBlue

macrumors regular
Feb 7, 2020
191
577
Please just fix the ****** graphics driver implementation when using an external screen.

I’m planning to buy the 16” regardless, the trackpad on my 2014 finally gave out and the suspect build quality of every generation thereafter kept me from buying another Mac. I bought a Lenovo X1 to tide me over, but I’d prefer a Mac that doesn’t have a ton of compromises (thermals, graphics drivers, lack of ports, low refresh rates, reliability, having a Touch Bar, etc)
 

Ferfs

macrumors newbie
Sep 23, 2021
2
7
Apple has been very loose on their display's ppi lately, although this could date back to the iPhone 6 Plus and the 401 ppi “3x” scaling. In their MacOS guidelines they use 144 ppi for 2x scaling, yet those new screen resolutions goes to 250. Their iPhone lineup varies widely between 13 Mini and Pro Max.

I’m not bashing them for that, I’m sure they have their reason from going 326 ppi all the time to anything from here to there. I just want to know why.
 
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