Render of a possible iPhone 17 design
A new report from a leaker with a mixed track record says that the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air may get a high-refresh rate display, but it won’t be ProMotion.
ProMotion is the display technology that allows for the screen to refresh at different rates, to accommodate different needs. So for games or video, the screen or portions of it, can be faster and more responsive, while at other times it saves battery power with slower refreshing.
The feature was introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, and has remained a Pro model feature. But since February 2024, persistent rumors have said that ProMotion will come to every model in the iPhone 17 range.
Now leaker Fixed Focus Digital has claimed on Chinese social media site Weibo that these reports are false. “It’s just an ordinary 120Hz screen,” writes the leaker (in translation), “not a ProMotion adaptive refresh rate.”
This leak is not supported by any claimed sources. Fixed Focus Digital was previously correct about certain points, including the naming of the iPhone 16e. However, overall he or she has a mixed to poor track record.
Fixed Focus Digital has also been known to incorrectly go against other, more reliable sources. For instance, he or she has claimed that Apple has given up on making an iPhone Fold, while so many other sources say the opposite.
As far as ProMotion goes, it’s possible that some claims of it coming to all iPhone models could be wishful thinking. ProMotion makes iPhones feel faster and more responsive, but they also offer other features.
Specifically, ProMotion’s ability to slow down the refresh of a screen to just 1Hz is how it’s possible to have Always On active, without overly depleting the battery. Similarly, it is how StandBy can mean the iPhone is usable as a bedside clock.
Consequently, without ProMotion, neither of these features will be possible. If the screen is 120Hz, that is still a significant improvement on the iPhone 16’s 60Hz — but it will come with a marked impact on battery life.
For that reason, and the number of stronger rumors saying ProMotion is coming, this leak seems unlikely.
