iPhone 17 to feature 120 Hz screens across full model range
11:02 AM EDT, September 23, 2024
Not interested in the iPhone 16 due to its outdated display? It looks like the iPhone 17 will give you 120 reasons to switch.
In the Android world, high refresh rate screens have been dominant for years. Among models priced over $340, it is an absolute standard, and you can find dozens of phones under $230 that have at least 90 Hz.
Since 2021, Apple has also been using 120 Hz screens in its iPhones, but treats them as a luxury reserved for Pro models. Even the newly introduced iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are stuck with 60 Hz panels, resulting in low—by today's standards—animation smoothness and poor readability of scrolling text.
iPhone 17 - the entire series with 120 Hz screens
Ross Young, a display industry analyst for over 25 years, claims that the entire iPhone 17 series will be equipped with 120 Hz panels. For all four models, Apple will use LTPO-type variable refresh rate matrices, which can save energy when displaying static content.
According to previous leaks, Apple is expected to restructure its next year's portfolio. It is anticipated to include the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and a completely new variant tentatively called the iPhone 17 Air.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to have a weaker specification and fewer cameras than the other models, but a much slimmer and more modern casing. Supposedly, the company believes it will attract people more interested in design than technicalities.
Apple probably won't say goodbye to 60 Hz screens entirely
Many indications suggest that the iPhone 16 is the last flagship with a 60 Hz screen, but not necessarily Apple's last smartphone overall.
Next year, the company is expected to introduce the fourth generation of the iPhone SE. The smartphone is expected to inherit the design of the iPhone 14 and will probably use a 60 Hz display, just like it.
