iPad Is 120Hz refresh rate really important for an iPad?

[maverick786us]

I am really impressed with 5th generation iPad Air. Earlier I was thinking of buying iPad Pro. But I have limited budget and the fact that iPad Pro have very limited color options. I like the blue color of iPad Air.

I that feel that with 5th generation iPad Air I can accomplish anything that people can with iPad Pro, I can use all iPad pro accessories, the latest generation pencil. My only concern is, how important is 120GHz display? That's the only feature missing in iPad Air. Otherwise give me one reason for selecting iPad Pro over iPad Air

 

[Isamilis]

I have MBA M2 and iPP 11". I didnt see any noticeable difference when using any of them. Even, I can work longer with MBA screen than iPP screen - which probably due to PWM.
For me, there is no real-benefit choosing iPP over iPad Air 5. I got iPP M1 when iPad Air 5 hasn't release yet (so iPP has more RAM, faster performance). If I were you, I would buy Magic Keyboard so the iPad Air can also run simple writing tasks with similar trackpad and keyboard feels like Macbook.

 

[maverick786us]

I have MBA M2 and iPP 11". I didnt see any noticeable difference when using any of them. Even, I can work longer with MBA screen than iPP screen - which probably due to PWM.
For me, there is no real-benefit choosing iPP over iPad Air 5. I got iPP M1 when iPad Air 5 hasn't release yet (so iPP has more RAM, faster performance). If I were you, I would buy Magic Keyboard so the iPad Air can also run simple writing tasks with similar trackpad and keyboard feels like Macbook.

Good point, I already have an M1 MacBook Pro 16, So I don't need a Magic Keyboard with my iPad. But I will need the latest generation Apple Pencil. Now while using pencil does 120Hz have a better response time? I will occasionally game with iPad so how much does 120Hz matters while gaming?

 

[FeliApple]

I’ve only had 60hz iPads, but I tried ProMotion models on display and honestly it’s never been something about which I immediately thought “I need this”. I could see the difference when comparing them
directly but I scrolled for a while and I thought it wasn’t something I’d miss. Others may differ, of course, but even multiple comparisons on different days yielded the same result: “I really don’t care about not having this”.


If anything, as a 9.7-inch iPad Pro and an iPad Air 5 user, the most noticeable omission of my iPad Air are the Quad Speakers. Yes, even the 1st-gen Pro’s Speakers are a lot better than the latest Air ones.

 

[floral]

No, it's really more of a nice perk than a necessity. 120hz displays wouldn't let you do anything better than a 60hz would...

 

[maverick786us]

My MacBook Pro and iPhone 15 PM both have Pro Motion display, but I haven't found any use cases yet. While using pencil, does 120 HZ reduces the latency rate?

For iPad a good Camera isn't that important. So I am OK with the camera of iPad Air 5, which I will use only once in a blue moon. Besides Pro Motion I will miss 512GB storage, as I will be storing a lot of videos in my iPad

 

[darthbane2k]

Im someone who is still clinging onto their 2018 launch iPad Pro and I fully realise that in the next year I will need to upgrade. I am also a MacBook Pro user and as most of my productivity is covered there, I have no desire to upgrade to another iPad Pro. Especially seeing as iPad Pros cost as much as MacBooks these days. I could settle with an Air and even come to peace with the fact that I'll no longer have Face ID. However what is putting me off is the loss of Pro-motion. It really does make a difference. Do wish Apple were not so darn stingy with their iPad Lineup.

 

[Aggedor]

Otherwise give me one reason for selecting iPad Pro over iPad Air

Bigger screen.

 

[darthbane2k]

Bigger screen.

Bigger screens are coming to the Air if you're willing to wait.

 

[sailingHobbit]

ProMotion on the bigger displays is imho way less noticeable. I can clearly see the difference on an iPhone but not on an iPad or MacBook.
But for other differences between the 11" Pro und 10.9" Air: for me FaceID alone would be enough to buy the Pro rather than the Air.
Unfortunately that's a decision I won't have to make for my next iPad since it will be a mini 7th gen and that will probably be available with Touch-ID only.

 

[MayaUser]

for 2022-2023 it is. We have to move forward not backwards or stagnate
The thing with promotion is like if you used it for more than a year...and you go back then you will see the big difference in everything.
From OS UI , to your proff apps, like Maya for me. Everything that have motion, promotion displays are in their own league

 

[Aggedor]

Bigger screens are coming to the Air if you're willing to wait.

True. I hope they come with Face ID - I bought my wife an 11" iPad Pro, while I still have an iPad Air, and I'm envious of Face ID. Also the screen is noticeably bigger and better than my Air, so I'd definitely go for a Pro in future.

 

[MayaUser]

ProMotion on the bigger displays is imho way less noticeable. I can clearly see the difference on an iPhone but not on an iPad or MacBook.
But for other differences between the 11" Pro und 10.9" Air: for me FaceID alone would be enough to buy the Pro rather than the Air.
Unfortunately that's a decision I won't have to make for my next iPad since it will be a mini 7th gen and that will probably be available with Touch-ID only.

very strange...because promotion is more noticable as you go larger and larger...
For example you will barley see difference between an 60hz vs 120hz on an apple watch...but on 32" displays, more content means more motion difference for the eye

 

[Digitalguy]

Just to point out how everyone is different I hate faceid. I disabled it on my 3 iPad pros as I prefer to go with no password than have to deal with all the the times where it tells me I am too far not at the right angle etc. (= most of the time). I love touch it and leave it enabled.
Promotion is something I like but definitely not a big deal, I can absolutely live without.
Quad speakers is the biggest advantage for me as I use speakers a lot.

 

[Lukomaldini]

I have M1 Pro 14’, 15 PM and an iPad Pro. When I had my 12 mini (the only device not with 120Hz) I did feel the “downgrade” from using the other 2 but that’s just me. I like having consistent refresh rates across devices so I would wait and get a iPad Pro. I would find myself not using one as it’s something I would instantly notice.

If it’s something you really notice I would say get the pro, if it’s something that you don’t really notice on your 16 or 15PM, then not a problem

 

[Falhófnir]

I don't even really notice it between an original 12.9 and an M1. I have heard the Panels they use in the iPad have very poor response times that effectively stops the display reaching its full refresh rate, even if theoretically it is refreshing 120 times per second. This is in sharp contrast to the OLED iPhone Pros where it's very noticeable. The OLED panels have very fast response times. I certainly wouldn't let it be the deciding factor in a purchasing decision between an Air or 11" Pro.

 

[maverick786us]

OK I didn't know that iPad Air doesn't have faceid. When I bought iPhone XS Max way back in 2018, I am dependent on Face ID instead of fingerprints. Though MacBook doesn't support, Face ID so I am fine with fingerprints there.

Talking about Pro Motion display, can you suggest me some common use cases where 120Hz will be noticeable, besides gaming, that will actually make my change my mind? Yes for big screen refresh rate matters. But if I go for an iPad Pro it will be the 11 inch variant not 13.

 

[6916494]

My MacBook Pro and iPhone 15 PM both have Pro Motion display, but I haven't found any use cases yet. While using pencil, does 120 HZ reduces the latency rate?

Turn Pro Motion off temporarily on your MacBook Pro and scroll a webpage in a browser. Then you'll see the difference. Especially when scrolling slowly.

 

[Matsamoto]

Otherwise give me one reason for selecting iPad Pro over iPad Air

The price difference for the Air 5 and Pro 11 in Sweden is around 200$.
I don’t know the difference in the US?

For the 200 dollars you get a screen with 120 Hz. If you wanna use a Apple Pencil 2 and to do some creative work, you will love the smoothness of Pro Motion.
Better camera. (if you wan’t to go around with an iPad and take pictures😅)
Better loudspeaker. 4 on the Pro instead of 2 on the Air.
Double the storage, 128 vs 64.
And you also get a M2 instead of a M1 cpu.

So imo it’s totally worth the 200$🙂

 

[GMShadow]

You're not going to notice the 120hz, most of the stuff really is just 'nice to have'. I routinely swap between my 12.9 and the iPad 10 and the main thing I notice is the non-laminated display, which isn't a factor on the Air 5.

Well, that and the speakers, but they're serviceable and if you don't have a Pro to compare to, you won't notice what you're missing.

 

[fw85]

For me having the 120hz display and face ID alone were worth the higher asking price.
I use high refresh rate displays almost everywhere and encountering something where I want to do a fair bit of reading and scrolling, which is then locked at 60hz, just hurts my eyes too much. It's no secret that high refresh screens reduce eye strain in general, by how much - that's individual.
I have the pencil as well and the responsiveness is noticeably better when writing as well, which is to be expected.

Then there's the improved chipset, more storage, significantly better microphones and speakers, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support, brighter screen (600 nits vs 500), Thunderbolt 4 port for wider external device support.

So all in all, assign to these differences whichever value you will.
For me it was easily worth it going for the Pro model, which is priced at 130€ more around here.

 

[Shirasaki]

It’s totally worth it for smoother animations. 60hz just can’t deliver that. There is a reason why gaming monitor for PC strives to make 144hz or higher dominate over higher resolution, and why professional CSGO player uses monitors that are 360hz sometimes.

For me, I can definitely feel the difference between 60hz and 120hz, and it’s quite apparent. YMMV of course but 120hz is a great thing to have for sure.

 

[Rafterman]

It's a matter of taste. Personally, 60 vs 120 doesn't bother me. But I do recognize the "smoothness" in scrolling and such on the Pros. But it's not top of my list. For me, storage is, which is why I went with the Pros.

But if you don't know if you need/want 120hz, then you probably don't.

 

[PowerMac5500]

Deleted

 

[VisceralRealist]

It's really more just something that once you've experienced it and gotten used to it, it's difficult to go back to 60 Hz. Now that all my Apple devices are 120Hz, whenever I use my PC with its 60 Hz display, I'm very aware of the low refresh rate. It's part of the reason why I don't think I could ever go for the non-Pro iPhone until it has 120Hz.