From Apple Retina to Liquid XDR display: what do the names mean?

July 4, 2022 Luisa Rey

To indicate the quality of an iPhone, iPad or Mac display, Apple uses vague marketing terms. But what do display names like Retina, Super, Liquid and XDR say? In this article we explain it.

Read on after the ad.

What is a Retina display?

Retina display: a screen where the pixel density is so high that you cannot see the individual pixels from a normal viewing distance. Every Apple product has been a Retina display since the 2010 iPhone 4.
Retina HD Display: Retina display with a HD resolution (720p). This screen type is found on the iPhone 6 (Plus), iPhone 6s (Plus), iPhone 7 (Plus), iPhone 8 (Plus), and the second and third generation iPhone SE.
Super Retina Display: Retina HD screen with OLED. The OLED screens have deep black colors and a high contrast ratio of 1:000:000:1. The iPhone X and iPhone XS (Max) have this screen type.
Super Retina XDR Display: Same as Super Retina, but with an improved contrast ratio of two million to one. The screen has better color reproduction and higher brightness, especially with HDR content. The iPhone 11 Pro (Max), iPhone 12 series and iPhone 13 series have a Super Retina XDR display.
Liquid Retina Display: An improved display technology for LCD screens, with a wide color gamut and realistic colors. Found with the iPhone XR, iPad Pro 2018-2020, 11-inch iPad Pro 2021, and MacBook Air 2022.
Liquid Retina XDR Display: Retina display with mini LED technology. This display offers many of the same benefits as OLED, including deep blacks and high contrasts. Apple devices with this display include the 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the 2021 MacBook Pro (both 14- and 16-inch).
Retina 4K Display: Retina display with a 4K resolution. This includes all 4K 21.5-inch iMacs.
Retina 5K display: Retina display with a 5K resolution. The 5K 27-inch iMacs, iMac Pro and Studio Display have such a screen.
Retina 6K display : Retina display with a 6K resolution. Only the Pro Display XDR has this.

(Super)Retina, Liquid and XDR

If we look at the names Apple has given its displays, a term comes up everywhere: retina† This is an indication of a pixel density that is so high that you can no longer distinguish them from a normal viewing distance. Nowadays, such a Retina screen is no longer a special feature. All of Apple’s screens are high-resolution – and are Retina displays.

If the screen has an OLED technology, Apple calls the display a Super Retina-screen. With the latest iPhones, Apple also adds the XDR label, because they support the display of XDR content.

In addition to OLED screens, Apple also releases devices with the standard LCD screen. This screen type is what the company calls it Liquid Retina Display† The best LCD screens are equipped with mini LED technology, where the display is very similar to OLED. These panels also support XDR and become the Liquid Retina XDR Display named.

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