iPhone 17 and 17 Air: Does Apple have mercy on the refresh rate?

A look at the specifications of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus initially look impressive until you take a closer look: A “Super Retina XDR Display” Apple uses OLED technology, with a pixel density of 460 ppi and a resolution of 2556 x 1179 (iPhone 16 with 6.1 inches) or 2796 x 1290 pixels (iPhone 16 Plus with 6.7 inches). The P3 color space is also supported, as well as HDR playback, as well as a contrast rate of 2,000,000:1, including 1000 nits maximum standard brightness (1600 nits for HDR, 2000 nits peak outdoors). What is missing, however, is refresh rate information. Because it is no longer up to date: it has been at 60Hz for standard iPhones for years. Now there are rumors that this could change at least in the coming year.

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120Hz – even with always-on display?

Screen expert Ross Young from Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), who has been right on such issues in the past, shared in a report To macromers that Apple is planning new iPhone 17 standard models for 2025, both of which will be equipped with ProMotion technology for the first time. This is how Apple has been describing the ability to display up to 120 Hz for years – which has been available since the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. The analyst believes that the iPhone 17 and the “iPhone 17 Air” or “iPhone 17 Slim” – successors to the Plus models with a particularly thin housing – will receive ProMotion for the first time.

It is still unclear whether the device will also have an always-on option. Since the iPhone 14 Pro, the refresh rate can be reduced to 1Hz, which allows individual, unrepeatable elements to be displayed in an energy-saving way. Young did not provide any details. But 120Hz would also be welcome: the higher frame number allows for smoother scrolling and can display suitable videos more adequately – and ProMotion could also be helpful when gaming.

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Apple saves money on components

Technically speaking, Apple could have built 120Hz into its standard models long ago. In the Android world, such screens are also available in cheaper devices. With the iPhone 16, Apple also uses the same SoC – albeit thinner – in the standard models as in the Pro iPhones, and there will be enough performance without any problems. (However, this could also apply to the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, which came with the SoCs of the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.)

Apple mainly saves money by losing ProMotion. Given the fact that the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus cost at least 949 and 1099 euros respectively, this is very unpleasant for interested parties. The iPhone 17 and “17 Air” are expected to arrive in autumn 2025.

(B.Sc.)