Apple Display Types

Explore the different types of Apple displays, including Retina, Liquid Retina, Super Retina, Super Retina XDR, Liquid Retina XDR, Pro Display XDR, and Ultra Retina XDR.

Apple Display Types

LCD Or Liquid Crystal Displays

Retina Display (LCD)

Retina Display is Apple’s term for screens with a high enough pixel density that individual pixels are not discernible to the naked eye at a typical viewing distance. Introduced with the iPhone 4, Retina Displays are used across various Apple products, including iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and iMac. They offer sharp, detailed images and text.

Liquid Retina Display (LCD)

Liquid Retina is a type of LCD display with high resolution and advanced colour accuracy. It was first introduced with the iPhone XR. Liquid Retina displays feature edge-to-edge design, True Tone, and a wide colour gamut, providing an immersive visual experience.

Dynamic Island On iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max Uses An OLED Display

OLED Or Organic Light-Emitting Diode Displays

Super Retina Display (OLED)

Super Retina is an OLED display that debuted with the iPhone X. It provides deeper blacks, higher contrast, and more vibrant colours compared to traditional LCD screens. Super Retina also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, enhancing the viewing experience for high dynamic range content.

Super Retina XDR Display (OLED)

An advancement over the Super Retina display, the Super Retina XDR offers even higher brightness and contrast levels. Introduced with the iPhone 11 Pro, it features an expanded dynamic range, delivering more true-to-life visuals, especially in HDR content.

Ultra Retina XDR Display (OLED)

The Ultra Retina XDR display on the iPad Pro (M4) represents the pinnacle of Apple’s display technology, boasting superior brightness, contrast, and colour accuracy. This OLED display delivers High Dynamic Range (HDR) with vivid colours and true blacks. The display includes ProMotion and True Tone technologies, ensuring a responsive and natural viewing experience. The tandem OLED design utilises two OLED panels to achieve extreme high brightness and wide colour support. Engineered to minimise burn-in effects, this display uses advanced algorithms to maintain a consistent viewing experience over time.

mini-LED Displays

Liquid Retina XDR Display (mini-LED)

Liquid Retina XDR is Apple’s advanced mini-LED display technology, introduced with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021). It combines the benefits of LCD and OLED technologies, providing high brightness, deep blacks, and excellent colour accuracy. The mini-LED backlighting enables better contrast and HDR performance.

Pro Display XDR (mini-LED)

Pro Display XDR is Apple’s professional-grade monitor, designed for creative professionals. It features a 32-inch Retina 6K display with extreme dynamic range (XDR). The display offers exceptional brightness, contrast, and colour accuracy, making it ideal for high-end video editing, photography, and graphic design.