Apple's standard iPhone 17 next year will feature a display with a higher refresh rate, potentially bringing "ProMotion" technology to the base model in Apple's flagship iPhone lineup for the first time.
Weibo-based Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station claimed over the weekend that supply chain materials corroborate rumors about a higher refresh rate display coming to the standard iPhone 17. The leaker did not mention a specific hertz (Hz) rating, but previous rumors have suggested Apple plans to use 120Hz, or the "ProMotion" rate historically limited to the Pro versions of its iPhone lineup.
Apple is expected to use low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels for all iPhone 17 models, which is what enables ProMotion due to its superior power efficiency. The current iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus use low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels, which are capped at a maximum 60Hz refresh rate.
ProMotion enables refresh rates ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. At the low end, ProMotion allows for always-on functionality, which means always-on time, widgets, and notifications that have been available on Pro models' Lock Screens for some time now. Meanwhile, at the high end, 120Hz enables smoother scrolling and video content.
Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants has claimed that both the standard iPhone 17 and a slimmer model that we are calling the "iPhone 17 Air" will both feature ProMotion. With all four iPhones slated to get ProMotion displays in 2025, higher refresh rates will no longer be a feature that sets the Pro iPhone models apart. Perhaps more importantly, it will also see Apple's flagship lineup finally ditch 60Hz displays – something most other premium smartphone brands left behind quite a while ago.
Digital Chat Station accurately revealed that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus would feature a slightly smaller 48-megapixel sensor than the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max last year, as well as the display panel design of the iPhone 12 back in 2020. Next year's iPhone 17 series is expected to launch around the usual September time frame.
