iPhone 17 Models May Use Fixed 120Hz Displays Without ProMotion
Do all Apple iPhone 17 models and the Ultradünne iPhone 17 Air real doctorate? A new leak questions previous rumors and explains why the difference between 120 Hz and an adaptive refresh rate is larger than expected.
A new leak questions the previous rumors for the display technology of the iPhone 17. The often well-informed Chinese Leaker “Fixed Focus Digital” claims on the Weibo social media platform that the standard iPhone 17 and the new iPhone 17 Air will be preserved 120 Hz displays-but without the adaptive refresh rate, which makes Apple’s promotional technology.
This would mean that Apple continues to set polycrystalline silicone (LTPS) panels for its cheaper iPhone models at low-temperature, but with a fixed 120 Hz rate instead of the 60 Hz panels in the iPhone 16/16 Plus.
Difference between fixed 120 Hz and promotion
The difference between a fixed 120 Hz display and promotion is considerable. While a fixed 120 Hz panel looks liquid with scroll movements, animations and UI transitions, it consumes significantly more battery because it constantly works with a high frequency-even with static content. Doctorate, on the other hand, the refresh rate adapts dynamically between 1 Hz and 120 Hz, depending on the content and the user interaction. This adaptive technology was first introduced in the iPad Pro in 2017 and came into the smartphone series with the iPhone 13 Pro in 2021.
The technology automatically recognizes when high refresh rates are needed-for example when scrolling through websites or gaming-and reduces them in static content such as reading texts or displaying photos up to a HZ. A fixed 120 Hz panel would also deny the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air. This currently enables the display of time, widgets, notifications and background image on the lock screen, even if the device is blocked. For this function, the extremely low refresh rate of an HZ in combination with the OLED display is essential to keep the battery consumption minimally.
Credibility of the leaker
Fixed Focus Digital has shown a mixed hit rate in the past. The account correctly predicted the naming of the iPhone 16e before the official confirmation and predicted a new bronze color for the iPhone 16 Pro models, which later came onto the market as “Desert Titanium”. On the other hand, the leaker, with its forecast, was next to the number of color options for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
However, the majority of the previous rumors speak for real doctorate in all iPhone 17 models. According to the equally trustworthy industry insider and display expert Ross Young, which the South Korean websites Etnews and The Elec Quoted, all four iPhone 17 models are to be equipped with power-saving LTPO displays.
