March 27, 2026
Drama at 1 Hertz
LG's new 1Hz display is the secret behind a new laptop's battery life
Internet split: genius battery saver or old trick with a fresh coat of paint
TLDR: LG’s screen that drops to 1Hz promises big battery savings and is already headed to Dell’s XPS, with an OLED version due later. Commenters are split: some say phones have done this for years, others question the 48% claim and what’s truly new, while Apple MacBook speculation heats up
LG says its new “Oxide 1Hz” laptop screen can slow to one refresh per second and ramp to 120 when needed, claiming up to 48% longer battery life. The crowd? Absolutely not united. The top chorus is a loud “been there, done that,” with users pointing out phones and watches already dip to 1Hz — Apple Watch did it back in 2019, and the iPad Pro’s OLED still skips always‑on, as one commenter linked via 9to5Mac. Another camp goes full detective: “Is this different from panel self refresh?” they ask, calling out past tricks where the screen pauses when nothing changes. The spiciest skeptics accuse LG’s press hype of hand‑waving: if most power is from the backlight, does slowing the flicker really save nearly half? Meanwhile, someone brings receipts with a PCWorld link and notes rival HKC teasing similar ranges — cue the “everyone’s doing it” eye‑rolls. Speculation season also opened: could this be why Apple’s MacBook Pros haven’t gone OLED yet, waiting for ultra‑low refresh battery magic? And yes, memes landed: jokes about “PowerPoint at 1 frame per second,” e‑ink vibes, and laptops that nap between slides. LG says Dell’s XPS already has the panel, with an OLED version planned for 2027. The internet says: prove it, and show it doesn’t look weird when it jumps back to fast mode
Key Points
- •LG Display introduced an “Oxide 1Hz” laptop panel supporting 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rates.
- •LG claims the panel can reduce power consumption by up to 48% on a single charge.
- •The panel has been shipped to Dell for XPS models shown in January.
- •LG Display plans mass production of a 1Hz-capable OLED panel using the same technology in 2027.
- •Open questions remain about ramp speed to higher refresh and potential visual artifacts, though the 1Hz option appears as a default configuration.