Apple's screen naming can be confusing

Apple uses multiple designations for its screens, such as Retina, Liquid Retina, Super Retina XDR, Ultra Retina XDR, and PROLED XDR. These names reflect different technologies and marketing strategies, which can lead to confusion among consumers.

Two main screen technologies

Apple primarily uses two types of screens: LCD and OLED. LCD screens use a backlight from LEDs, which shines through liquid crystals to create images. OLED screens, in contrast, have each pixel produce its own light, enabling deeper blacks and higher contrast.

Mini-LED improves LCD performance

Mini-LED is an advancement in LCD technology that enhances contrast and brightness. It uses many small LEDs arranged in separate zones to control the backlight more precisely, resulting in better image quality on devices like the MacBook Pro.

Retina refers to sharpness, not technology

The term "Retina" describes a screen's sharpness, introduced with the iPhone 4 in 2010. It does not specify the screen type, as Retina screens can be either LCD or OLED. Other terms like "Liquid Retina" and "Super Retina XDR" further differentiate between screen types and features.

Newer technologies like Tandem OLED

Apple has adopted Tandem OLED technology, which uses two light-emitting layers to increase brightness. This technology is used in the iPad Pro since 2024 and the new touch MacBook Pro, offering improved performance for professional use.

Additional terms describe screen features

Other terms such as XDR, ProMotion, True Tone, and LTPO describe specific features or functions rather than the underlying screen technology. For example, XDR refers to extreme dynamic range, while ProMotion allows for adaptive refresh rates up to 120 Hz.