Apple’s next big product launch might still be a long way off, but a new report has shed light on powerful new technology coming in the next version of Apple’s flagship Pro Display XDR.
The 2nd-gen model will use state-of-the-art quantum dot technology, according to the respected displays analyst Ross Young (via 9to5Mac). Young had previously reported that the M4 MacBook Pro, which was announced at the end of October, is the first Apple product to use quantum dot tech, but the next-gen tech is far more important for Apple’s high-end display. For one, it’s 32 inches; for another is uses “”state-of-the-art calibration and a sophisticated algorithm” to deliver “the highest-quality color possible.”
Quantum dot is a recent display technology designed to deliver better color and motion performance than is possible with conventional LED, mini-LED and OLED screens. (It’s also where we get the Q in QLED TVs.) As Young explains (login required), the MacBook Pro previously used KSF phosphor, which makes it plausible that other KSF-based Apple products will follow its lead and switch to quantum dot.
“Now that Apple has adopted [quantum dot] in the MacBook Pro,” he writes, “it will be interesting to see if they replace KSF films and KSF phosphors in other Apple products. KSF films are found in previous mini-LED MacBook Pros and the Mac Pro Display XDR. We expect the next version of the Mac Pro Display to adopt it.”
All very pleasing, but the catch is that we’ll likely be waiting a long time for the next version of the Pro Display XDR. The original device came out in 2019 and we’ve been expecting an update ever since the Studio Display was launched in 2022; but Young says it’s unlikely to appear until late 2025 or early 2026. You can keep up with the latest news and rumors with our new Pro Display XDR superguide.
Author: David Price, Editor, Macworld
David has been writing about technology for well over two decades, and got on board the Apple hype train when covering the original iPhone launch in 2007. He is an enthusiastic Apple Watch evangelist and feels that the HomePod is misunderstood.