iPad When will iPad or iPad Air get 120hz?

[Konvictz]

Guys, when will the base iPad models get 120hz?

I want to buy an iPad for my mum who literally just browses Youtube and goes on whatsapp. I got her a 14 pro when it came out and it's work well for her and now want to buy her an iPad.

There is literally no point getting her a pro. And the base models at 60hz will feel very sluggish. And she'll use it for a few years so no point getting a 60hz.

I've seen the base iPhone this year get the 120hz screen so I'm really hoping Apple do the same with iPad. Similar priced tablets do have this feature and it's a pretty big one. I wouldn't really say it's a pro feature anymore as budget devices now have them.

Any ideas of when the 120hz screens will come to the iPad or iPad Air?

 

[sparksd]

In the absence of informed information on this, your guess is as good as anyone else's.

 

[rui no onna]

I wouldn't count on the base iPad getting it anytime soon but I reckon the Air might get in the next iteration or two. You can always go the refurb route. M1 and M2 iPad Pros can be had for reasonable prices as Apple certified refurbs.

Will your mom even notice though?

My dad has an iPhone 15 Pro and iPad 5th gen (9.7" A9/2GB) and he hasn't really mentioned anything about lagginess. The iPad is really slow at this point but still good enough for him for YouTube and his forums. He actually has an iPad 7th gen but he prefers the 5th gen, go figure.

My mom has a 12.9" with ProMotion, iPad 7th gen and iPhone 16e. No complaints about lagginess either apart from the 7th gen being genuinely slow at this point.

I regularly switch between an iPad mini, 15 Pro and M1 iPad Pros. I don't really notice the lack of ProMotion either unless I compare scrolling side by side.

 

[Falhófnir]

Notably the poor response times of Apple's (mini)LED displays does counteract some of the benefit of ProMotion, basically the pixels can't physically change colour 120 times per second so you're capped at something between 60 and 120. There are rumours to the effect of the mini (an Air-class iPad) getting an OLED display for its next release in the next year or so, and OLEDs do have very fast response times typically, so Apple may take the opportunity to do it then, as they are changing the panel anyway. I haven't followed the rumour mill for the Airs, but if the mini is swapping to OLED there's a good chance the Airs will as well, and a decent chance (but no guarantee) ProMotion will come along with it.

FWIW I barely notice it on the iPad, likely due to the response time issue, but I absolutely can tell the difference on the OLED iPhones. It's a shame as I actually think miniLED is in some ways a better tech than OLED, but I suppose Apple can't get panels with absolutely every characteristic they want so the response times is what they compromised on.

 

[Konvictz]

I wouldn't count on the base iPad getting it anytime soon but I reckon the Air might get in the next iteration or two. You can always go the refurb route. M1 and M2 iPad Pros can be had for reasonable prices as Apple certified refurbs.

Will your mom even notice though?

My dad has an iPhone 15 Pro and iPad 5th gen (9.7" A9/2GB) and he hasn't really mentioned anything about lagginess. The iPad is really slow at this point but still good enough for him for YouTube and his forums. He actually has an iPad 7th gen but he prefers the 5th gen, go figure.

My mom has a 12.9" with ProMotion, iPad 7th gen and iPhone 16e. No complaints about lagginess either apart from the 7th gen being genuinely slow at this point.

I regularly switch between an iPad mini, 15 Pro and M1 iPad Pros. I don't really notice the lack of ProMotion either unless I compare scrolling side by side.

She will notice. When I bought her the 14 pro, it was the first iPhone she had with 120hz. She definitely noticed it. In fact she shouted at me first for buying it, but then she saw the usage was really quick and snappy. Sure she won't appreciate it like we would, but it's noticeable enough.

It's just a bit disappointing that devices have this feature. They realized they had to put in the base iPhone 17s this year, hope they reach a similar decision with ipad line up.

 

[Konvictz]

Notably the poor response times of Apple's (mini)LED displays does counteract some of the benefit of ProMotion, basically the pixels can't physically change colour 120 times per second so you're capped at something between 60 and 120. There are rumours to the effect of the mini (an Air-class iPad) getting an OLED display for its next release in the next year or so, and OLEDs do have very fast response times typically, so Apple may take the opportunity to do it then, as they are changing the panel anyway. I haven't followed the rumour mill for the Airs, but if the mini is swapping to OLED there's a good chance the Airs will as well, and a decent chance (but no guarantee) ProMotion will come along with it.

FWIW I barely notice it on the iPad, likely due to the response time issue, but I absolutely can tell the difference on the OLED iPhones. It's a shame as I actually think miniLED is in some ways a better tech than OLED, but I suppose Apple can't get panels with absolutely every characteristic they want so the response times is what they compromised on.

Oh that's quite interesting. Yes on the iPhones it's a huge difference where 60 feels so sluggish. I have an iPhone air and iPhone XS, when I use the xs it really feels like I'm taking a backward step in performance.

 

[rui no onna]

Notably the poor response times of Apple's (mini)LED displays does counteract some of the benefit of ProMotion, basically the pixels can't physically change colour 120 times per second so you're capped at something between 60 and 120. There are rumours to the effect of the mini (an Air-class iPad) getting an OLED display for its next release in the next year or so, and OLEDs do have very fast response times typically, so Apple may take the opportunity to do it then, as they are changing the panel anyway. I haven't followed the rumour mill for the Airs, but if the mini is swapping to OLED there's a good chance the Airs will as well, and a decent chance (but no guarantee) ProMotion will come along with it.

FWIW I barely notice it on the iPad, likely due to the response time issue, but I absolutely can tell the difference on the OLED iPhones. It's a shame as I actually think miniLED is in some ways a better tech than OLED, but I suppose Apple can't get panels with absolutely every characteristic they want so the response times is what they compromised on.

The Mini LED is only for the 12.9". The M1 & M2 11" Pros are still LCD.

 

[smorrissey]

With ipad os 26 even the latest pros are laggy and buggy.

 

[sparksd]

With ipad os 26 even the latest pros are laggy and buggy.

Not seeing lag on my M4 13".

 

[klasma]

I wouldn't necessarily get my hopes up. About 18 months ago, an Apple OLED roadmap leaked according to which the iPad Air would get an OLED display next year. If that happens, it may stay on 60 Hz for differentiation to the Pro. (As the linked article states: "These machines will still lack ProMotion technology with a refresh rate of 60Hz like the current models.") If, on the other hand, the Air stays on LCD, then who knows.

I use a 120 Hz iPad Pro as well as a 60 Hz iPhone and iPad mini, and it hardly makes a noticeable difference to me. Things can be quick and snappy on 60 Hz as well. You may be projecting your own preferences.

 

[UnifiedMelody]

Very unlikely. Considering both variants used dated LCD displays which is only as good as 60Hz. The LCD alone was what put me off getting a base iPad [air gap, wth] and iPad Air [still sluggish at 60Hz] you notice it very quickly especially with touch reliant tools.

Things like Macbook, not an issue; as it's not touch-based input but rather external [keypad, trackpad, mouse]

There was a reason why I ponied up more for the iPad Pro M4, it's basically peak tech in an iPad and with edu savings and a free inclusive apple pencil [and 12% cashback]. this seemed like a much better deal than the iPad Air M2/M3 which did not get inclusive an apple pencil and the edu savings were abysmal on it.

 

[Unami]

I can't for the life of me figure out why anything with 60hz or above should feel sluggish. That's the shutter rate of a TV-Camera and well above anybody's perception rate - do the news or live sport feel "sluggish"? Really, in the movie business, we avoid anything above 24fps because it feels cheap and like a soap opera - but that's an aquired taste, if you watch closely you can see the background strobe on a lot of pans. Either way, 60fps should be enough.

If anything, there's a lag in iOS, because liquid glass is so bloated, or Apple has made animations slower. But 60hz alone won't feel "sluggish". At most you would see it slightly choppier if you look at it from
the corner of your eyes.

 

[Ethosik]

I can't for the life of me figure out why anything with 60hz or above should feel sluggish. That's the shutter rate of a TV-Camera and well above anybody's perception rate - do the news or live sport feel "sluggish"? Really, in the movie business, we avoid anything above 24fps because it feels cheap and like a soap opera - but that's an aquired taste, if you watch closely you can see the background strobe on a lot of pans. Either way, 60fps should be enough.

If anything, there's a lag in iOS, because liquid glass is so bloated, or Apple has made animations slower. But 60hz alone won't feel "sluggish". At most you would see it slightly choppier if you look at it from
the corner of your eyes.

Once you are used to it, you just cannot go back. And it helps immensely with eye strain. My eye doctor suggested it, my eye issues immediately was resolved when I got 120+ hz monitors. Even moving my mouse around the desktop I can tell its 60hz and irritates me. That is the sole reason why I upgraded to the iPhone 13 Pro Max for the higher refresh rate. And why I immediately got the iPad Pro for the high refresh rate when it first launched.