iPhone 12 Pro Likely to Ship With 60Hz Display, But Launch Delay to Add 120Hz Possible

[Apple_Robert]

I’ve said this previously, over the past 9 months that people have been talking about the iPhone going to 120Hz, or not, that I laugh every time I see a tech reviewer post videos showing how impressive 90 or 120Hz is on a phone. To show just how great the faster refresh rate is, they quickly swipe up and down or side to side on the screen. Some even try to show comparisons between 60Hz and 90 or 120Hz swiping / scrolling fluidity.

Ooooh, that’s impressive and it’s definitely what I’m looking for in a device. I mean, who doesn’t spend hours each day quickly swiping back and forth?

So, for all those people out there who have figured out they have to have 120Hz refresh rates on their phones, what exactly are you doing on the device that benefits you in a significant way, compared to what a 60Hz display offers?

Really, I want to understand why I need to have 120Hz on an iPhone. To note, I’m typing this on my iPad Pro 12.9” with ProMotion display and I can’t even figure out why it is better that it has a faster refresh rate. I should also note that I’m not a gamer, so for me faster refresh for games is a non-issue.

I also haven’t ever thought to myself, as I swipe from screen to screen, or scroll on my iPhone 11 Pro Max, that it’s herky-jerky, so maybe I’m just not seeing some huge fault that I will immediately notice once the curtain is opened by an astute user.

When it comes to potential new features, there is always a segment on MR that has already convinced themselves that the new phone must have said feature or its meaningless and they can’t go on with their iPhone life. Think Hamlet and the soliloquy for an iPhone. It doesn’t matter if this proposed new feature is purely spec to boost sales, which it is. What matters is the MR contingent who have devised beyond all hope and reason, that the new tech spec is mandatory.

 

[GeoSciGuy]

Maybe Apple should have planned to have a third set of high end phones that would have had a release date in December, with a guarantee to ship before Christmas.

The phones could start at 1TB and go up to 2TB, have a ProMotion display, and have more RAM.

They could sell the phones for $2000 or $2500 and donate 20% towards COVID-19 relief, similar to Apple donating 10% of Product(RED) phones to AIDS relief. I think they would sell well.

If we don’t get 120Hz this year, then we’ll have to get 144Hz or higher by next year.

 

[freakomac]

If there is not going to be 120hz on the Pros, then whats the distinction between Pro and regular iPhones? I see no point in going Pro just for the extra camera.

 

[1144557]

Maybe that's why Apple is 2 trillion company and Samsung isn't?

Because the sheep mantra applies? Buy everything with a fruit logo on it?

McDonalds sells the most burgers too, they are far from the best. Sales doesnt equate to quality. You can part enough people from their money is all it proves.

If Apple has good enough reasons to explain why they can't include 120Hz this year, I will personally give them a pass & still buy the latest iPhone whenever it's released.

With that said, I don't want Apple to grow complacent on not investing enough in boosting its hardwares. Apple has numerous key advantages over its Android rivals, but those advantages shouldn't be the reason Apple hold iOS users deep into the ecosystem hostage.

I think as consumers, we are entitled to as much effort Android is investing in lifting up its hardware from Apple. Sure, some trends (five or more rear camera lens, curved display, hole-punch or mechanical front camera placement) are barely meaningful and I don't see Apple following, but some things Apple are still doing (shipping 5W charging bricks, not giving iPhones 40-50W charging capability, 60Hz display) seems increasingly like a show of arrogance. No company is god, and that includes Apple – and if 2018 was any indication, customers know when to teach Apple a lesson.

In a perfect world, I see Apple including the 120Hz display, giving customers options on either having the charger or get an Apple gift card of equivalent value, and give these new iPhone models even further fast-charging capability – at the very least, 20W should be easily doable.

Well said; except I wouldnt agee on the 40-50w charging. That is proven to hurt battery composition. 25-30w would be a good middle ground.

 

[1144557]

How are they supposed to get a 120Hz variable refresh rate display (requires LTPO display like the Apple Watch) if Samsung currently is the only manufacturer of those (for smartphones) and they only have limited manufacturing capacity this year, hardly enough for their own Galaxy Note Ultra model? Samsung can only manufacter around 3 million of those displays this year, this isn't nearly enough for a smartphone as popular as an iPhone. If they can't source enough displays then they're not going in the phone, not sure how this is so hard to understand for some people.

The only thing Apple could do is put in a non-LTPO display panel but then you'd be stuck at either 60/120Hz.
I don't think anyone is looking for a battery draining display that's stuck at 60/120Hz like every other 120Hz display (except the recently released Note 20 Ultra) without being able to go down to 1/24/48/etc.. Hz to save on battery life.

So choice is bad? How hard is shipping it at 60 and giving a 120 toggle IF YOU WANT TO USE IT. With a big a** warning message "THIS WILL USE MORE BATTERY LIFE"

For some reason in iOs14 betas its an accessibility toggle to reduce refresh rate; why not in display settings let it be turned on. Even Samsung does that. It ships at 60.

Apple way being the only way isnt always the right answer. Choice isnt a bad thing despite what Apple tell you to believe.

Its a PRO phone being marketed and priced as a PRO device

 

[quamsi]

I’m sick of the McDonald’s burger argument. McDonald’s sell the most burgers because they are dirt cheap and mass produced in nearly every town all over the world.

Apple sales are the highest because people realize they work and they work well.

 

[tipoo]

Hope they don't delay for such a dubious feature.

Hope they delay for the single biggest feature I'd get it for

 

[compwiz1202]

So I wonder if they included the hardware but are just on the fence about enabling it or not like mentioned before. If that is the case though just have a freaking toggle that is defaulted to OFF. If someone is a lighter user and/or has decent access to power, then they can turn it on. If they feel their battery life will suffer, don't turn it on.

 

[19callum93]

I feel like they will delay the 120hz until next year without thinking twice about it. This way, 5G and a new body being a major selling point of the new phone, next year they can highlight the 120hz as a new reason to upgrade.

This is definitely an Apple tactic 😂 Then they will probably market the 120hz display as BRAND NEW TECH THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE; the super superior lighting fast liquid retina display 🙌🏼😅

 

[compwiz1202]

I’m sick of the McDonald’s burger argument. McDonald’s sell the most burgers because they are dirt cheap and mass produced in nearly every town all over the world.

Apple sales are the highest because people realize they work and they work well.

Agree. So many different facets to how well a company is doing. Units? Profit? Quality? Price?

 

[jarman92]

I have an 11” iPad Pro and iPhone 11 Pro and have never once noticed the ProMotion display, even scrolling on the 2 devices side-by-side. The way some of y’all talk about high refresh rate, you’d think it was the greatest thing since multitouch.

 

[quamsi]

So I wonder if they included the hardware but are just on the fence about enabling it or not like mentioned before. If that is the case though just have a freaking toggle that is defaulted to OFF. If someone is a lighter user and/or has decent access to power, then they can turn it on. If they feel their battery life will suffer, don't turn it on.

If it comes as 60/120 on this year’s iPhones I will toggle it on for a few days just to experience it and ultimately toggle it off because battery life is super important to me.

 

[SDJim]

Yes, like every other company that already have 120Hz displays on their phones... oh wait.
...
(which haven't affected numerous 120Hz smartphones).

I don't necessarily disagree with you, except for your assertion that other companies have done this in spite of the pandemic. Major competing implementations were done before COVID, and in separate supply chains.

 

[JPack]

So I wonder if they included the hardware but are just on the fence about enabling it or not like mentioned before. If that is the case though just have a freaking toggle that is defaulted to OFF. If someone is a lighter user and/or has decent access to power, then they can turn it on. If they feel their battery life will suffer, don't turn it on.

According to Young, he's saying Apple "can get" 120Hz panels (Samsung) but not 120Hz drivers. In other words, the panels being ordered are 60Hz. Given the sales volume Apple deals with, it doesn't make sense to include a hardware feature but not enable it. Especially since Apple is trying to pinch costs everywhere from the battery to the packaging.

 

[magicman32]

Every commenter here poo pooing a 120hz display saying they couldn't care less has never used one. Once you do — you'll never be happy w a 60hz display again

I go back and forth between a 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 and a 60hz phone and a 60hz monitor and I feel nothing when I pick up my phone (or monitor) right after the iPad. I couldn’t care less about this feature, using it, and not using it, side by side.

It’s hardly as dramatic as you make it out to be. Not everyone processes this stuff visually (for various reasons) the same way.

But hey, that’s just me.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Who decides these analysts are even worth listening to? Maybe I can be an analyst as well? It’s either going to be 60 or 120 hz. Next model is probably going to have an a apple a14 chip and come with iOS 14. Like really I didn’t know that. 😮 real big surprises and in depth analysts here.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

I’m sick of the McDonald’s burger argument. McDonald’s sell the most burgers because they are dirt cheap and mass produced in nearly every town all over the world.

Apple sales are the highest because people realize they work and they work well.

When was the last time you went to McD's? It's hard to get out of there with 2 regular meal deals for less than 20 bucks.
IF (and that's a BIG *IF*) you can find the dollar menu listed anywhere on the menu board, then yes, some of that stuff is cheapER.

 

[magicman32]

All those saying 120hz doesn’t matter this year are just sheep. Apple could re-release the 11 Pro, call it the 12 and the same people would still buy it.

Now, I like my Apple products but no 120hz this year will be rubbish and difficult to ignore.

I have an iPad 2018 ProMotion display and a 2019 “high-end” Android phone with 60hz screen and I couldn’t care less about this feature.

Sheep me, baby!

 

[JPack]

Who decides these analysts are even worth listening to? Maybe I can be an analyst as well? It’s either going to be 60 or 120 hz. Next model is probably going to have an a apple a14 chip and come with iOS 14. Like really I didn’t know that. 😮 real big surprises and in depth analysts here.

Have you met Steve Jobs because Apple bought your display industry market research?

Ross Young has.

 

[jmgregory1]

I go back and forth between a 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 and a 60hz phone and a 60hz monitor and I feel nothing when I pick up my phone (or monitor) right after the iPad. I couldn’t care less about this feature, using it, and not using it, side by side.

It’s hardly as dramatic as you make it out to be. Not everyone processes this stuff visually (for various reasons) the same way.

But hey, that’s just me.

Not just you, I’m right there with you. It would be one thing, if current iPhone screens were choppy and slow even doing normal things like typing a text message, watching a quick video, scrolling through photos, but that’s just not the case.

 

[biffuz]

So they listen to people now? What about the notch? There's a LOT of people who don't like it. For me, I'm not getting any phone with a damned notch, Apple or else.
Also, there's a lot of people asking for lower prices

 

[bobmans]

So choice is bad? How hard is shipping it at 60 and giving a 120 toggle IF YOU WANT TO USE IT. With a big a** warning message "THIS WILL USE MORE BATTERY LIFE"

For some reason in iOs14 betas its an accessibility toggle to reduce refresh rate; why not in display settings let it be turned on. Even Samsung does that. It ships at 60.

Apple way being the only way isnt always the right answer. Choice isnt a bad thing despite what Apple tell you to believe.

Its a PRO phone being marketed and priced as a PRO device

Can you explain to me why having a 120Hz display on an iPhone is so important to have in your opinion besides how it looks good on a spec sheet?

 

[jmgregory1]

This is definitely an Apple tactic 😂 Then they will probably market the 120hz display as BRAND NEW TECH THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE; the super superior lighting fast liquid retina display 🙌🏼😅

What Apple will likely do, in the case of a ProMotion display iPhone isn’t going to be about the 120Hz refresh rate alone, but the variability in refresh rate that will be adjusted automatically when and where it is needed, just like on the iPad Pros. And perhaps they’ll offer it with the 1Hz slow refresh rate for always-on display use, just like on the 5th gen Watches. Combined, it will be something other manufacturers don’t have.

 

[coachgq]

that is such and utter bs. i’d take a 120hz screen over 5g. 5g is in its infancy right now and doesn’t offer any tangible benefits for most americans. 120hz display literally changes how you interact with the phone. everything feels more snappy and fluid and it just feels better. they’ve had 2 years since it launched on ipad to get it to work on iphone, if the iphone 12 doesn’t have it there’s no way i’d upgrade. rocking my xsmax for another year i guess. i was on a yearly upgrade pattern from iphone 6-iphone x, but iphone 11 and it seems iphone 12 just aren’t compelling enough.

I have 11 and had xs. The battery life alone is the major feature. I had to use a battery case to make it through my day on the xs. Not required on the 11. Awesome upgrade for me.

 

[dovvee]

Can you explain to me why having a 120Hz display on an iPhone is so important to have in your opinion besides how it looks good on a spec sheet?

Have you tried scrolling on a 120hz phone before? It's such a difference. Every tech reviewer even mentions it in their reviews where phones have 90+hz screens. Mid-range Android ones have 90+hz these days, as well.