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marcusalwayswins

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 23, 2021
570
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Hey Everyone,

Strange as it may sound, I’ve got pretty much every Apple product out there — an iMac, MacBook Pro, iPad, HomePod, AirPods — you name it. But… I don’t have an iPhone 😅 So yeah, I’m a very late entrant to the iPhone bandwagon.

The reason’s simple — the models I’ve always liked fall under the Pro and Pro Max categories, and those are just way too expensive for my budget. But this time around, I’m seriously considering taking the plunge with the iPhone 16 Plus, since that’s the one my wallet can actually handle.

Right now, I’m using a Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, and honestly, Android’s been ahead from iPhone and IOS in some areas for years. For example, it’s only with the iPhone 17 series that Apple decided to give all models a ProMotion (120Hz) display — till the 16 series, it was reserved for the Pro models only, which is kinda disappointing. Android phones (even mid-range ones) have had 120Hz displays for 5+ years now.

So here’s my main question — coming from a phone that already has a 120Hz AMOLED display, will I really feel the difference when using the iPhone 16 Plus? I’m sure I’ll notice it, but will it be so jarring that I’ll end up regretting my switch, thinking, “Oh man, why does this feel so slow?”

Also, since the 16 Plus doesn’t have an OLED display (again, Apple reserves that for the Pro models 🙄), I’m wondering if that makes a big difference in day-to-day use. I’ve heard the 16 Plus display still looks amazing, but would love to hear some real-world feedback.

Might just take the plunge tomorrow — but this ProMotion dilemma is the only thing holding me back right now.

Would love to know your thoughts, especially from anyone who switched from a 120Hz Android to a non-Pro iPhone!
 
Have you considered the regular iPhone 17? It has the 120Hz display and a bunch of other upgrades like the front camera, battery etc, and I believe it's the same price

The 16 Plus does have an OLED display btw

EDIT: the 17 is the same price, but has more base storage
 
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The base 17 is so much better than the 16 Plus as long as you can get over the smaller sized screen.
 
Have you considered the regular iPhone 17? It has the 120Hz display and a bunch of other upgrades like the front camera, battery etc, and I believe it's the same price

The 16 Plus does have an OLED display btw

EDIT: the 17 is the same price, but has more base storage

But I want a Larger Screen Size? The 17 does not have it.
 
For some people yes but you will get use to the 60hz display eventually as for every day use it does not become a problem
This is exactly what I wanted to know in what ways and form not having the promotion display make a difference? Like for example in which use cases does it make a different of not having it? Can somebody give me an example?
 
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I have a bit of comparison here - I have been using top Androids as my private phones for the last 5 years (fun fact - I ditched the iPhone back in the day also because of the fact that they did not bring ProMotion to the 12 Pro in 2020 so I am pretty picky about the high refresh rate). Currently my daily is the S25U, before it was the Flip 5 and before that the Pixel 7 Pro. At the same time my work phones have always been the iPhones - now it is the 13, before it was another 13 and the SE 2022. The 60Hz is honestly a terrible eyesore when scrolling, going through various menus and switching between the apps - the phones just feel slow, especially if I have used my private phone just before. Clearly these iPhones are less powerful than my androids but they are not overloaded with all of the stuff that I have on my private phone so I would not say that the feeling of slowness these iPhones have been giving is due to the fact that they are older models and underpowered.

Having said the above, you will always get used to things and if you stop directly comparing, then you will be fine - I would maybe just reduce animations on the iPhone to not make it feel slow or use your Xiaomi in the 60Hz mode before you get the iPhone. Or just wait a bit longer to save more and get the 16PM ;)
 
This is exactly what I wanted to know in what ways and form not having the will the promotion display make a difference? Like for example in which use cases does it make a different of not having it? Can somebody give me an example?

You'll get use to 60hz eventually, but 120hz is noticeable in most scenarios for me, specifically scrolling. If you do any kind of scrolling in apps it'll be apparent initially.

Worth trying out if you can get it from Apple directly, they have a two week return period anyway
 
You'll get use to 60hz eventually, but 120hz is noticeable in most scenarios for me, specifically scrolling. If you do any kind of scrolling in apps it'll be apparent initially.

Worth trying out if you can get it from Apple directly, they have a two week return period anyway

Not in the U.S
 
Not in the U.S


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I don’t know what’s available in your country/region, but if you absolutely need the 120 Hz why not try to look for some refurbished/used/still available 15 Pro Max?
Or the 16 Pro Max?
 
So not having a Pro Motion Display on the 16 Plus will be noticeable ? right guys ?
This is exactly what I wanted to know in what ways and form not having the promotion display make a difference? Like for example in which use cases does it make a different of not having it? Can somebody give me an example?
This is one of those things that only you can answer. Everyone has different perceptions. Personally, I cannot tell the difference, so it doesn't bother me at all. Then there are others that are dramatic and say it makes their eyes bleed.

You've stated you have an iMac, which would have a 60Hz display. Do you notice anything jarring when you switch between your devices that have a 120Hz display and the iMac (or your MacBook Air if you still have it)? If you have an Apple Silicon MacBook Pro, that would also have a ProMotion display, so you can compare that with the iMac or Air as well to help give you an idea if it's something you notice or not.

Supposedly, the Redmi Note has a setting to set the display to 60Hz. Have you tried that to see if you notice anything jarring? Lastly, take a look at the iPhone in person if you can. If you don't have an Apple Store nearby, check out retailers or cellular stores.
 
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This is exactly what I wanted to know in what ways and form not having the promotion display make a difference? Like for example in which use cases does it make a different of not having it? Can somebody give me an example?
I went from the 14 pro max (promotion) to the regular 15 (no promotion) then back to the 17 pro max. I mean did I notice a small difference at first? Yes. Did it bother me? No. A 60hz screen on my 15 was still a lot better than the 120 hz on my husbands OnePlus
 
I went from the 14 pro max (promotion) to the regular 15 (no promotion)
What a weird choice since iPhone 14 Pro Max has a bigger battery and a telephoto which iPhone 15 does not have. The only advantage I can think of aside from the smaller size [for some] is USB Type C since both iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 use A16 Bionic.
 
If you're used to 120hz, it'll take you a few days to maybe a week to get used to 60hz. But after that period, your eyes won't care any more as long as you're not constantly comparing to another screen that has 90 or 120hz.

16 Plus will still get you top notch battery life, and some might argue the 17's camera isn't really better than the 16's due to Apple's new processing algorithms (other threads here). Though, the selfie camera is a definite improvement.
 
What a weird choice since iPhone 14 Pro Max has a bigger battery and a telephoto which iPhone 15 does not have. The only advantage I can think of aside from the smaller size [for some] is USB Type C since both iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 use A16 Bionic.
I had the 14 pro max privately and then got a 15 from work so financially it made sense
 
The thing is I feel nowadays Apple is optimizing iOS towards their Pro line when it comes to animations. Using a 60 Hz iOS device feels slow and stuttery due to these clearly 120 Hz optimized animations. But you can get used to "slow and stuttery" rather quickly. It's fine. If you really need to have an iPhone the 60 Hz display shouldn't be the deal breaker. I can't think of any use case where I would absolutely need a 120 Hz iPhone display but I don't game or record/watch high frame-rate videos on my phone.
On Macs I don't see these 120 Hz optimized animations yet so you can't really compare iOS devices to macOS devices.
What iPad do you have? If it's a Pro model you can enable "Limit frame rate" to get an idea what to expect but on a real 60 Hz device it doesn't look as bad as with "Limit frame rate" enabled. If it's not a Pro model you kind of know what to expect but expect the slow and stuttery animations to look a little bit worse and more noticeable on a 60 Hz iPhone.
 
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