Apple ProMotion 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.
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.
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.
At the time of writing, the Apple ProMotion technology is currently only available in Apple’s Pro smartphone and MacBook models. This includes the MacBook Pro but also the iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Other modern Apple devices, including the flagship iPhone 15 and MacBook 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 as Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, come equipped with a 120Hz refresh rate. They just don’t use the term ‘ProMotion’ as Apple does.
