The new iPad Pro with M4 has surprised us. We are talking about the thinnest device ever made by Apple, and also one of the most powerful. With its impressive chip and new display, the specifications are almost enough to have an always-on display, like the one we already know from the iPhone.
Hardware that is quickly approaching the requirements
Since 2017, the iPad Pro has incorporated ProMotion technology in its displays, a technology that originally allowed refresh rates between 24 and 120Hz. Now, the new iPad Pro models for this 2024 have arrived with a significant advancement in this field: the ability to reduce the refresh rate to just 10Hz when displaying static content. This low rate is possible thanks to the adoption of LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) technology for the screen, which is also known for its low power consumption.
With this, we bring these new iPads closer to the specifications that allow the always-on display on the iPhone or Apple Watch. A refresh rate of just one hertz, that is, once every second, seems to be the key figure, although there is more to consider.
The battery capacity of the Apple Watch on the iPhone, much smaller than what we find on iPads, calls for greater optimization. In this sense, although it seems unlikely, the 2024 iPad Pro could also offer an always-on display through a future software update. A feature that would have slightly higher consumption than its smaller siblings, but proportionally would not be a big burden for its larger battery.
In any case, what is clear is that the hardware of the iPad has taken a big step forward with yesterday’s launch towards a screen that never turns off. Even more so if we add to this the efficiency of the M4 chips, which improve the already impressive performance per watt famous in all Apple silicon chips.
From here on, we will have to see how the situation evolves. We can consider an evolution of the necessary hardware, a software change, or that the always-on display mode only makes sense on our phones and watches.
