LTPO Displays Supporting 120Hz Refresh Rates Again Rumored for iPhone 13 Pro Models

The two higher-end "iPhone 13 Pro" models that are coming in 2021 are expected to use LTPO display technology to enable 120Hz refresh rates, according to display analyst Ross Young.

iphone 12 120hz thumbnail feature
Young reaffirmed the detail in a tweet that said he'd heard rumors about only one model featuring LTPO, which he says is inaccurate.


LTPO OLED displays feature a more power efficient backplane able to turn the individual pixels on and off on the display, better preserving battery life. Young has previously said that LTPO technology is linked to 120Hz refresh rates and will need to be implemented before ProMotion can be brought to the iPhone, otherwise the 120Hz refresh rate would drain too much battery life.

At this point, multiple rumors have confirmed both LTPO technology and 120Hz refresh rates for the two Pro-level ‌iPhone 13‌ models. 120Hz ProMotion displays were rumored for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models as well, but Apple did not implement them and instead saved the feature for the ‌iPhone 13‌ lineup.

Samsung will supply most of the LTPO OLED displays to Apple, with Apple also potentially sourcing displays from BOE and LG Display.

Apple has long offered 120Hz refresh rates in the iPad Pro lineup. As on the iPad, the higher refresh rate on the ‌iPhone‌ will make motion content on the screen smoother, crisper, and more responsive for tasks like reading, gaming, and more.

Related Roundup: iPhone 13
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

abowlby Avatar
39 months ago
For those asking, high refresh rates are more easily appreciated when they are gone. You notice their absence more than their presence. That alone is characteristically very much like an "Apple feature."

For those acting like it's a gimmick, come back and +1 this comment after you use one for awhile. Saying higher refresh rates are a gimmick is the same as saying higher resolution or "retina" displays are a gimmick. They objectively are not.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Metrosey Avatar
39 months ago

Probably the biggest and most exciting feature for me

Scrolling with anything less is a pain in the eyes
You must have really struggled with every single iPhone then and every phone before 2018, that must be really annoying for you.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apparatchik Avatar
39 months ago
ProMotion is not about 120hz refresh rate but about variable refresh rate, that’s what was revolutionary about it when it was introduced, so the display can clock down to 24hz or 30hz for video consumption or 10hz for static content.

The times the screen goes all the way up to 120hz is just here and there. So when you scroll text, it can go up and then when you stop to read or to reply a message it goes back down. This allowed Apple to introduce the technology while saving power.

This is also what set it apart from those infamous half-backed Android implementation where the user had to “choose” (sacrifice) between screen resolution, refresh rate or battery life.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
39 months ago
This makes me happy primarily so that people who constantly whine about this will move on to complain about other things that, perhaps, the rest of us can actually see.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DotCom2 Avatar
39 months ago
Can someone please educate me on what the big deal is about this?
I don't seem to have any issue with scrolling on my current iphone 12 Max Pro or my 2018 iPad Pro.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lemon Olive Avatar
39 months ago

This makes me happy primarily so that people who constantly whine about this will move on to complain about other things that, perhaps, the rest of us can actually see.
:rolleyes: The 120 Hz display is the most significant update iPad has gotten since Retina. It makes an unbelievable difference to every single user who looks at the display.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
General Apps Messages

Google Reveals When to Expect RCS Support on iPhone for Improved Texting With Android Users

Friday March 29, 2024 7:14 am PDT by
In November, Apple announced that the iPhone would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, and Google has now revealed a more narrow timeframe. In a since-deleted section of the revamped Google Messages web page, spotted by 9to5Google, Google said that Apple would be adopting RCS on the iPhone in the "fall...
airtag new orange

Criminals in Montreal Using AirTags to Steal Vehicles

Friday March 29, 2024 12:50 pm PDT by
Thieves in Montreal, Canada have been using Apple's AirTags to facilitate vehicle theft, according to a report from Vermont news sites WCAX and NBC5 (via 9to5Mac). Police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada. Two Burlington residents found Apple AirTags in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal, and these...
top stories 30mar2024

Top Stories: WWDC 2024 Announced, New iPads Delayed, and More

Saturday March 30, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's WWDC 2024 dates have been announced, giving us timing for the unveiling of the company's next round of major operating system updates and likely some other announcements. This week also saw some disappointing news on the iPad front, with update timing for the iPad Pro and iPad Air pushed back from previous rumors. We did hear some new tidbits about what might be coming in iOS 18 and...
iphone 16 cases sonny dickson 1

First iPhone 16 Cases Outline New Rear Vertical Camera Bump

Friday March 29, 2024 4:09 am PDT by
Photos of the first iPhone 16 cases have been shared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical rear camera arrangement on the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Image credit: Accessory leaker Sonny Dickson Over the last few months, Apple has been experimenting with different camera bump designs for the standard iPhone 16 models, all of which have featured a vertical ...
Apple iPhone 15 Pro spatial video capture lifestyle

$3 App Shoots Better Quality Spatial Video Than iPhone's Camera App

Friday March 29, 2024 4:48 am PDT by
A $3 third-party app can now record spatial video on iPhone 15 Pro models in a higher resolution than Apple's very own Camera app. Thanks to an update first spotted by UploadVR, Spatialify can now record spatial videos with HDR in 1080p at 60fps or in 4K at 30fps. In comparison, Apple's native Camera app is limited to recording spatial video in 1080p at 30fps. Shortly after Apple's Vision ...