As per a report by the Chinese website ITHome, Huawei has chosen a 90Hz screen over 120Hz due to battery saving concerns. As logic dictates, a higher refresh rate display means higher power consumption. Huawei has said that it has fine-tuned the P40 Pro’s display for smoothness and at the same time consume less battery.
While 120Hz is definitely smoother than a 90Hz panel, the difference is not readily apparent
The P40 Pro is also a 5G-ready phone and this will put additional strain on the phone’s battery life, hence it was not advisable to put in a 120Hz display. Then there is the fact that a 120Hz refresh rate display would put on a significant strain on the chipset, which might also result in jaggy performance.
While 120Hz is definitely smoother than a 90Hz panel, the difference is not readily apparent to the untrained eye. The difference is more noticeable when one goes from a 60Hz panel to a 90Hz display. Then there is the fact that not all content is optimised for more than 60Hz refresh rate. Games, PUBG Mobile in particular, currently cannot have a refresh rate of over 60Hz.