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Comment by vadersb | Hacker News Reader

I was a long-time iPad fan for more than a decade, currently using 5 year old iPad Pro 10.5 which works flawlessly but its battery is quite degraded already.

With these new iPads introduced I no longer have a viable upgrade path: iPad pro is a no-go for me because of OLED screen (which I strongly oppose, PWM, irregular subpixels, etc.) and newly introduced iPad Air doesn't have 120Hz display (or ProMotion in Apple terms). So, there are no new iPads with LCD display and ProMotion.

What a sad state both Apple hardware and Apple software are in.

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> What a sad state both Apple hardware

That seems a tad dramatic. Why don’t you buy a (now) previous gen iPad Pro? That’s LCD (mini-LED if you get the 12.9”), ProMotion, still absurdly thin and powerful (especially for anything you can actually do with an iPad), and likely soon discounted to clear stock.

Yeah, going with prev gen iPad Pro would definitely be a valid choice. I was talking about the general state of Apple hardware and software, not only iPad. The fact that base iPhone 15 model has 60hz screen (while obviously having more than enough power to drive 120hz display) is frustrating. Personally I perceive it as a hostile stance towards anyone who considers themselves a tech enthusiast. There are many more examples of that. Like pop up warning about 10% battery left forcibly stops current audio message recording. Inexcusable.

What do you oppose with PWM, irregular subpixel displays? I'm curious why do you think these new improved displays are inferior to the LCDs of the past?

I went from a regular iPhone 11 to a 15 Pro Max, and when the screen is dim I can see it flicker, which is distracting and fatiguing to look at due to PWM rates being too low. OLED screens have plenty of pros, but aren't certainly without their cons.

One thing I learned in life is to try to not be miserable by being too pedantic. The world isn't perfect. While striving for one's own perception is honorable, thriving for perfection in their purchase decisions is futile.

Do you REALLY need 120Hz? How much do you scroll for it to be relevant enough?

Also you had plenty of time to buy the 11" iPad Pro with M1 and M2 chips, all come with a not-well-saturated LCD screen.

To be fair, the increasing lack of choice in both hardware and software/operating system is why I left the Apple ecosystem 5 years ago. I have no complaints now; tons of vendors and operating systems to choose from. Well, hardware vendors anyway.

Would you mind going into more details about what you see as the OLED downsides? Is it just Apple’s variant, or the broader product category?

It’s OLED in general, because of PWM flickering first of all. I strongly prefer IPS LCD for any screen that’s used for longer than brief periods of time. Btw Apple IPS screens in iPads, MacBooks, etc demonstrate that that tech is capable of producing great image quality

Your requirements seem exceedingly demanding. What use are you making of the iPad that is not fulfilled by their current line?

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