The new MacBook Pro with M4 is the first Apple product to feature an LCD panel with quantum dots, and signs are pointing to adoption in the next version of the Pro Display, too.
Apple has made no mention of it – possibly due to the limited effect on display quality – but the new MacBook Pro uses an LCD panel with both a miniLED backlight and a quantum dot film, instead of phosphor, to improve the color gamut – similar to some TVs.
The change was discovered by market research firm DSCC.
- "DSCC discovered that that the new Apple M4 MacBook Pros are the company’s first products to use quantum dots," said Ross Young, co-founder and CEO of DSCC.
Apple's Pro Display next?
According to DSCC, the use of phosphor caused a 'cyan flash' when transitioning from a dark scene to one with brighter elements, a side effect of mediocre motion performance (see GIF to the right).
This issue no longer occurs in the new MacBook Pros.
- "We expect the next version of the Mac Pro Display to adopt it. Other Apple products that use on-chip KSF phosphors in an edge-lit design include the MacBook Air, iPad Air, Mac Studio Display, etc. QDs likely won’t offer any potential cost savings vs. on-chip KSF phosphors, but if Apple tried to standardize on wider color gamuts across all their products such as Adobe RGB + P3, it could make sense for them to make this change," commented Ross Young.
The big upgrade: OLED
The refinement of the aging LCD panel in Apple's product comes ahead of the rumored major upgrade to OLED in MacBooks in 2026.
Apple has used OLED in iPhones and Apple Watches for years, but the facilities required for mass production of medium-sized OLED panels are only now coming online. Apple recently introduced tandem OLED in iPad Pro and is expected to switch to OLED in iPad Air in 2026, followed by iPad mini and MacBook Air in 2027.
- Source: DSCC
