The iPhone 16 is a great smartphone on many fronts. Still, there is one thing Apple really needs to address (and it seems to be doing so with the iPhone 17).
The iPhone 16 is incredibly fast, has a good camera and, thanks to iOS 18, also offers quite a few extras. Still, there has been one major downside to Apple’s smartphone for years: the screen.
While midrange Android devices that sometimes cost $500 or less have a refresh rate of 120 Hz, the regular iPhone 16 remains hopelessly stuck at 60 Hz. Only the Pro version offers 120 Hz, but that looks set to change with the iPhone 17.
The much-needed iPhone 17 upgrade
The refresh rate has been one of the standard criticisms for years. Logical, since the entry-level model already costs almost 1,000 euros and for that money it is actually unacceptable to offer only 60 Hz. That seems to be coming to an end – thankfully – with the iPhone 17.
According to ETNews (not the alien from Steven Spielberg’s movie, but a reliable source on the tech front), regular iPhone models will also support 120 Hz, or Pro Motion as Apple calls it.
The 16 Pro Max does have Pro Motion. (Image: Sebastien Angle/WANT)
The Medium reports that both LG and Samsung will supply the screens for the iPhone. LG would even increase production for this purpose to supply standard models as well. These LTPO OLED panels, as they are officially called, enable a dynamic refresh rate of 120 Hz. These screens are already being used on the iPhone 16 Pro. With this, the medium seems to confirm news that came out earlier this week.
Different than you think
But not only will the regular iPhone 17 get this screen, the same goes for the 17 Air. The latter is rumored to be a smartphone that should be thinner than the base model. This should make it even easier to carry around.
However, a side note must be made about the comparison between the screens of midrange Android models and those of the iPhone. Although the refresh rate on Android devices has been better in recent years, Apple’s screen quality is often significantly better. Consider color reproduction, pixel count and power consumption.
