iPhone 17 rumor hints at Pro-level screen upgrade
Apple might close the gap between its iPhone tiers quite substantially next year
📱 Apple is rumored to add 120Hz to the iPhone 17 display next year
🧈 This would make the screen as buttery smooth as the iPhone 17 Pro
🤳 The ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air will also reportedly get the upgrade
📅 The iPhone 17 is expected to launch in September 2025
Hot on the heels of our iPhone 16 Pro Max review, some new information has surfaced about next year’s iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air. According to Ross Young, a relibale analyst who spoke to MacRumors, Apple will bring its 120Hz ProMotion display technology to the base iPhone 17 for the first time. In addition, the technology will appear on Apple’s rumored ultra-thin 17 Air.
It’ll be the first time Apple has used the feature on a phone outside of its iPhone Pro series. It’s been exclusive to Pros since it was introduced on the iPhone 13 Pro in 2021.
📱 What is ProMotion?
ProMotion is Apple’s brand for a higher refresh rate display. Typical smartphone screens refresh at 60Hz, or 60 times per second. Higher refresh rates such as 90Hz and 120Hz can help the screen look and feel a lot smoother and more responsive. In Apple’s case, the company stuck with 120Hz and use it on the iPhone Pro and iPad Pro lineups.
I’m a big proponent of faster refresh rates because once you use one for a while, it’s almost impossible to return to a normal 60Hz screen. For example, I’ve been testing the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Plus side-by-side, and the 16 Pro Max feels a lot faster because of ProMotion, despite the 16 Plus having similar specs.
🗣️ Why this is a big deal
For Apple to bring ProMotion to the iPhone 17 is a huge move. It’ll be the first time this Pro-level feature has made it to a non-Pro Apple device, and it’ll further close the gap between the features available on the regular iPhone and the higher-end models. Using a regular iPhone will feel more like using one of the Pro models, which could convince customers to stick with the standard models and save some money on their next upgrade.
Of course, by closing one gap, Apple could introduce other new features exclusive to next year’s iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. So that’s equally exciting for those who are willing to spend over $999 or more on their smartphone.
🤳 Always-on display could remain exclusive to the Pros
There’s a chance that Apple could limit ProMotion on the iPhone 17 and 17 Air to keep the always-on display option exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone 13 Pro’s refresh rate could slow down to 10Hz when not in use, while the iPhone 14 Pro and beyond can slow down to 1Hz, enabling the always-on display. If Apple chooses to limit the iPhone 17 to 10Hz, the always-on display will remain an iPhone Pro exclusive. It’s too early to say whether that’ll be the case, but we’ll likely know more over the coming months.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro next September. Keep it locked to The Shortcut because we’ll be covering all the rumors until then.
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