Apple’s iPhone 17 series is expected to be the company’s first smartphone lineup to feature 120Hz displays on all models. The company has reserved displays with higher refresh rates (branded as ProMotion) on its iPhone Pro models since 2021, using slower 60Hz screens on the standard iPhone models. This year, the base iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air are rumoured to arrive with upgraded 120Hz displays, but a new leak coming out of China states that only part of this information is accurate.
iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air Could Feature Regular 120Hz Displays
Chinese tipster Fixed Focus Digital (translated from Chinese) on Weibo refuted recent rumours related to the 120Hz ProMotion displays on the non-Pro models in the upcoming iPhone 17 series. The tipster claims that iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will get “just an ordinary 120Hz screen”, without ProMotion. As a result, they will not support an adaptive refresh rate.
DSCC analyst Ross Young earlier claimed that Apple will introduce ProMotion displays across the entire iPhone 17 lineup for the first time this year. Multiple leaks from different sources have consistently hinted at a display upgrade for the vanilla iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air.
Apple’s ProMotion display has been exclusive to the Pro models since it debuted on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models. It improves screen smoothness and responsiveness, offering an enhanced experience during scrolling and gaming.
Last year’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus feature OLED screens with a 60Hz refresh rate displays. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, in contrast, have OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate (ProMotion). Apple used the same differentiating strategy in the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 14 lineups.
The ProMotion displays can reach up to 120Hz and can dynamically scale down to as low as 1Hz to conserve battery during low-motion tasks. This variable refresh rate also powers features like the always-on display in iPhone Pro models.
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air are expected to debut at an Apple launch event in September, alongside the purported iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The standard iPhone 17 is tipped to run on the A18 chip. The iPhone 17 Air is said to be equipped with an A19 chip, while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are said to run on an A19 Pro chip.
