2020 Apple iPhone models could come with 120Hz refresh rate display

According to a new report by DigiTimes, smartphone displays in 2020 are expected to start using high refresh rate displays. This is supposed to include the iPhone, which is suggested to ship with a ProMotion display for 2020 models. As of now, all iPhones use a display panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, with the iPad Pro sporting a 120Hz display which Apple calls the ProMotion display.

High refresh rate displays are starting to appear in smartphones a lot more frequently as 2019 draws to a close. Typically, a main-stay for gaming, high refresh rate displays also make the user interface a lot smoother, which is most notable while scrolling. For games, however, the display’s refresh rate only comes into play if the smartphone manufacturer and the game developer have both enabled support for the high refresh rate, case in point being the OnePlus 7T Pro, which has a 90Hz display but does not run any game at that refresh rate.

Traditionally, high refresh rates were also limited to IPS panels, however, the Asus ROG Phone II became the first smartphone to ship with a 120Hz OLED display earlier this year. Since Apple only uses OLED for their flagship iPhones, and given that 120Hz OLED panels now exist, it is entirely possible for Apple to ship next year’s flagship devices with a high refresh rate display.

The current iPhones, with their 60Hz refresh rate displays, are some of the first to get 60fps support for games. In fact, there are a few games that even support 120Hz for the iPad Pro, leading to the logical conclusion that if next year’s iPhone was to indeed feature a 120Hz refresh rate display, game support for it would not be far behind.

However, there are challenges to the high refresh rate bandwagon. These OLED displays are extremely power-hungry. We noted in our review of the OnePlus 7 Pro that the battery life was significantly reduced when using the phone with the display set to 90Hz. Asus circumvented this problem by strapping a 6000mAh battery to the ROG Phone II. It would be interesting to see how Apple tackles the problem of power draw that comes with having a high refresh rate display, even if its OLED.

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