Apple has unveiled its latest iPhone 16 lineup, adding some exciting enhancements that tech enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting. Although the iPhone 16 Pro models maintain a design similar to their predecessors, Apple has increased their size for a larger display. Attention is already shifting to next year’s iPhone 17, particularly the anticipated iPhone 17 ‘Air,’ which promises to come equipped with a 120Hz ProMotion display.
Both the upcoming iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 ‘Air’ are expected to feature 120Hz ProMotion displays, significantly narrowing the gap between standard and ‘Pro’ models. Despite the iPhone 16 lineup starting at $799, many Android competitors already offer 120Hz displays in that price range, making the iPhone 16’s display look outdated in comparison. Apple has historically reserved its premium features for higher-end models, but it seems that the standard iPhone 17 and the new iPhone 17 ‘Air’ will finally adopt this coveted feature.
The move to include ProMotion technology was highlighted by prominent display analyst Ross Young, who shared his insights with MacRumors. ProMotion will introduce a 120Hz refresh rate to the standard iPhone models, offering smoother scrolling, enhanced video playback, and overall better performance for content that supports higher frame rates.
Incorporating ProMotion into the standard models will also enable an Always-On display feature, reducing the frame rate to as low as 1Hz when the screen is locked to save battery life. However, this will depend on whether Apple decides to implement a variable refresh rate that can drop to such low levels. Previously, Apple capped the refresh rate at 10Hz for older ‘Pro’ models, so it remains to be seen how low the refresh rate can go on these new devices.
Currently, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are still equipped with 60Hz panels, a spec that could hamper their sales as consumers seek better display technologies. From a market perspective, adding ProMotion to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 ‘Air’ will significantly reduce the disparity between the standard and ‘Pro’ models. There is even speculation that Apple might boost the refresh rate on the iPhone 17 Pro models from 120Hz to a whopping 240Hz, though this remains to be confirmed.
Set to be announced in September of next year, the iPhone 17 lineup has plenty of time to generate anticipation and speculation about its new features. Will Apple truly push its Pro models to a 240Hz refresh rate? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the competition is heating up, and Apple is poised to keep its fans on their toes.
