Apple is very conservative when it comes to bringing cutting-edge features to all of its smartphones. While the Android OEMs are almost reaching the barrier of 200Hz displays with some of their flagships, Apple’s non-Pro iPhones are stuck with 60Hz displays. That is rumored to change this year, with the entire iPhone 17 family bringing 120Hz displays. However, there is a catch for the vanilla iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air. They might not get the “ProMotion” feature that Apple has been offering with its flagships.
iPhone 17 and 17 Air to Feature 120Hz Displays – But No Adaptive “ProMotion” Feature
So far, most of us have associated Apple’s “ProMotion” displays with every panel above 60Hz. However, to be fair, this has been just a mere assumption. The feature is more than the top refresh rate frequency, it’s the Adaptive Display Frequency feature that we have been seeing in Android smartphones. It has a wide range of frequency options, ranging from 10Hz to 120Hz on the iPhone 13 Pro. Everything depends on what you’re seeing in the panel. It will smartly adapt the frequency to conserve energy depending on the demands. The lower limit falls to 1 Hz with the iPhone 14 Pro generation, offering even more energy efficiency.
Some high refresh rate displays, however, only have a few options – 60 Hz, 90 Hz, and 120 Hz are a common standard among mid-range. This is the case with the iPhone 17 and 17 Air. Instead of a highly adaptive display, they will get these three options. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro Max will likely continue the standard with 1Hz-120Hz as they will feature LTPO panels. This is useful in the Always-On Display mode, which serves only to show notifications and the clock. Unfortunately, Apple still sells AOD as a premium feature, and the non-Pro iPhones don’t have it. This can change in the iPhone 17 series, but it’s highly unlikely.
Unfortunately, this news only shows how Apple keeps holding technology to make the Pro iPhones fancier than the non-Pro iPhones. LTPO panels aren’t expensive these days and are seen even in mid-range smartphones. It’s good, however, to see that the brand is finally leaving the 60Hz mark with its vanilla iPhones.
The iPhone 17 series could be way more expensive than its predecessors due to the ongoing Trump tariffs. So, in a certain way, we don’t expect massive changes that could raise the price even further.
