M1X MacBook Pro models could have 120Hz displays

12th October, 2021 at 10:39 am by Ben W

While unconfirmed, the new 14-inch and 16-inch M1X MacBook Pro models will likely be announced at the Apple event on October 18.

New information shared today on Twitter by reliable display analyst Ross Young suggests that the redesigned MacBook Pro models could feature mini-LED displays with support for 120Hz refresh rates. Responding to questions, Young says that mini-LED, which will offer improved brightness, greater contrast ratio, and better efficiency, is “100% confirmed”, corresponding with previous rumors.

Apple will continue to use LG and Sharp as the suppliers for the mini-LED displays, following on from the successful introduction with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It also introduced ProMotion, which adapts the refresh rate from 10Hz to 120Hz, on the iPhone 13 Pro, last month, so higher refresh rate panels on this year’s MacBook Pro models wouldn’t be a surprise.

ProMotion was first introduced on the iPad Pro, and will adapt the refresh rate from 24Hz to 120Hz, slightly higher than on the iPhone 13. The technology is more efficient and offers greater preservation of battery life. The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will also get a new design with flat edges; more ports, including HDMI, an SD card slot and the return of MagSafe; thinner bezels and other internal changes.

Apple plans to unveil the M1X chip, which could support up to 10 CPU cores, a maximum 64GB RAM and have 16-core and 32-core graphics options. It will be a significantly more powerful version of the M1 chip, announced in November 2020.

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