Apple is developing a higher refresh rate screen for the iPad Air, 24-inch iMac and Studio Display.
A screen with a higher refresh rate
The rumor that Apple is developing a new screen comes from an anonymous source, which can be heard in the podcast ‘Upgrade’ by Myke Hurley and Jason Snell. Currently, the iPad Air, 24-inch iMac and Studio Display all have 60Hz refresh rate screens. According to the rumor, the new screen will have a higher refresh rate, namely 90 Hz. The screen is rumored to appear first on the M3 iPad Air and eventually on the 24-inch iMac and Studio Display.
This is the full quote from the anonymous source heard in the podcast:
“I have news on screen improvements for the next generation of the M3 iPad Air. Apple is working on a higher refresh rate LCD display with a new liquid motion panel fixed at around 90Hz. They’re also working on expanding it to other models or products like a 24-inch iMac and a next-gen studio display.”
Loosely translated it says the following:
“I have news about screen improvements for the next generation of the M3 iPad Air. Apple is working on an LCD display with a higher refresh rate, with a new liquid motion panel set at around 90Hz. They are also working on expanding to other models or products such as a 24-inch iMac and a next-gen studio display.”
If you want to listen to the full episode of the Upgrade podcast in which the rumor can be heard, you can do so on the Relay-website.
First rumor about 90 Hz screens
Analyst Ross Young previously reported that the entire iPhone 17 series will have ProMotion screens with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. However, this is the first rumor about Apple’s alleged work on a 90Hz refresh rate display for a number of other products.
According to Bloomberg, the next generation iPad Air is expected to be released in early 2025. The iPad Air was first released this year in two sizes, you can now choose from an 11- and a 13-inch version. Previously, only the iPad Pro was available in these dimensions. Apple is expected to re-release the iPad Air 2025 with an 11- and 13-inch screen, and this time with a 90 Hz refresh rate.
There are no concrete rumors yet about when we can expect a next generation Studio Display including a screen with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The 24-inch iMac was updated last week, so its next upgrade probably won’t happen until late 2025 at the earliest.
Download the iPhoned app
