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What is Apple ProMotion? Apple’s screen technology explained
In This Article
AppleProMotion technology was first featured in the iPad Pro back in 2017 and has continued to roll out on select Apple devices.
But what actually is Apple’s ProMotion technology and how does it work? Read on to learn more about the technology, why it’s useful and which devices it’s currently featured in.
What is ProMotion?
Most screens are equipped with a 60Hz refresh rate, but devices with Apple ProMotion technology offer double this with 120Hz. This means that the screen will refresh up to 120 times per second, resulting in smoother animations and scrolling, plus improved responsiveness.
ProMotion is also adaptive, meaning the screen will adjust its refresh rate according to how you’re using your device. For example if you’re both streaming a video and switching between apps, the refresh rate will hit its maximum 120Hz to keep things running smoothly on screen.
If, however, the screen is fairly static – say if you’re reading a news article – then the refresh rate can drop as low as 1Hz to conserve battery life.
What are the benefits of ProMotion?
As Apple ProMotion technology is twice as smooth as a standard 60Hz display you’ll notice a significant difference when using your device, whether it’s for general scrolling, or playing video games.
Gamers will especially appreciate a higher refresh rate as it allows for faster reactions and quicker responses too.
As the Apple ProMotion technology is adaptive, you should also notice your battery life lasts longer than before, as it saves on needless refreshes.
We would also expect that using the Apple Pencil would be more fluid since the technology has a lower latency. This should make drawing and writing with the Pencil feel more natural and fluid than on a screen without ProMotion technology.
What devices feature ProMotion?
At the time of writing, the Apple ProMotion technology is currently only available in Apple’s Pro smartphone and MacBook models. This includes theMacBook Probut also theiPhone 13 Pro Max,iPhone 14 Pro MaxandiPhone 15 Pro Max.
Other modern Apple devices, including the flagshipiPhone 15andMacBook Air, still have the standard 60Hz refresh rate. This shows that Apple still views ProMotion as a luxury feature.
A 120Hz refresh rate isn’t just reserved for Apple devices though. In fact many modern Android smartphones, such asSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, come equipped with a 120Hz refresh rate. They just don’t use the term ‘ProMotion’ as Apple does.
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Jess joined the Trusted Reviews team early in 2024, after working for almost three years in lifestyle and technology PR. Using the skills gained from her previous role, Jess has taken on a new challen…
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
