The first of Apple's phones to come with 120Hz ProMotion displays was the iPhone 13 Pro, and while the two new models will continue to feature the technology, their screens could well boast expanded refresh rate variability this time around.
Apple adopted a panel technology with variable refresh rates that allowed for a more power efficient backplane for ProMotion displays. ProMotion can be used to produce fast frame rates when users need them, while preserving battery life when they don't.
The ProMotion displays on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are limited to a maximum screen refresh rate of 10 and 120 frames per second. When viewing a static image or when the device is inactive, the panels used by the likes of Oppo and SAMSUNG can drop to as low as 1Hz.
Ross Young, a well- connected display analyst, says he is expecting the ProMotion displays used in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max to be capable of dropping to the same 1Hz low. Depending on how Apple takes things, the technology could pave the way for longer battery life or always-on display elements.
The Apple Watch Series 7 models have the same up-to-18-hour battery life as earlier Apple Watch models, despite having an always-on display. The time, date, and any notifications on-screen could be displayed on the phone's screen without the need for the phone to be unlocked.
Mark Gurman suggested last year that Apple could bring similar features to the iPhone 13, but that didn't happen. There are no credible leaks pointing to the always-on display features of the iPhone 14 Pro models. That doesn't mean Apple won't surprise us. If Apple expands the refresh rate variability of its displays, there will be no technical limitations to prevent it.
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