The latest MacBook Pro screen reportedly includes a quantum dot film. Apple previously eschewed this tech for close to a decade because it used a toxic element, but the company found an alternative.
The result is a better-looking display in the new macOS notebook.
A quantum dot MacBook Pro, hurrah!
A quantum dot display includes semiconductor nanocrystals that produce monochromatic red, green and blue light. The result is improved brightness and color gamut. The technology has been in widespread use since at least 2013, but Apple refused to put them in its displays because the tech employs the toxic element cadmium.
But that changed with the macOS notebooks that launched earlier this month, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants.
“The latest MacBook Pro’s (M4) use a quantum dot (QD) film rather than a red KSF phosphor film,” said the analyst on X (formerly Twitter).
The display expert went on to explain, “In the past, Apple went with the KSF solution due to better efficiency and lack of cadmium (Cd), but the latest Cd-free QD films are very efficient, feature as good or better color gamut and better motion performance.”
Young also posted a comparison chart to highlight the differences between to two types of screen.
Chart: Ross Young
It’s hardly shocking that Apple moved to a superior display technology. The surprise is that the news is only just now coming out. There was no mention that the M4 MacBook Pro includes a quantum dot display during the product launch in late October.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
