Many modern iPhone screens feel snappier thanks to their 120Hz high refresh rate. This means these displays can refresh themselves 120 times per second, as compared to 60 times per second on traditional iPhones and some new non-Pro iPhones. Apple calls these high refresh rate displays ProMotion. Here, we will see how a ProMotion display works, the benefits of such a faster refreshing display, and most importantly, the list of iPhones with a ProMotion display available in the market. Let’s begin with understanding what ProMotion is:
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What is ProMotion display and how does it work?
Apple calls its display ‘ProMotion’ for supporting a smoother 120Hz refresh rate than standard panels. ProMotion employs LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) display technology that can dynamically adjust how frequently the pixels on the screen refresh/update to smoothly present the content.
So, if you are playing a game or some content that requires faster refreshing of the screen, you get a high refresh rate. The screen will match the frame rate of the video/game you play. If you scroll, the refresh rate will hit 120Hz. And if the screen is idle, the refresh rate drops (or gets slower since nothing’s happening on screen).
ProMotion is a hardware-based feature and Apple has a guideline for developers for which type of activities can trigger a high refresh rate. This includes High-impact animations like tapping on an item in a grid to view it in fullscreen (like in the Photos app); playing a game; or presenting information in a sheet format. Meanwhile, activities with small movements like clock ticking; progress bar, background blurring, etc need not trigger a high refresh rate.
Benefits of a ProMotion display on iPhone
The major benefit of a high refresh rate display includes smoother visuals in the case of UI transitions, animations, and content playback. Screen interactions (like scrolling) can feel a lot more responsive, and at the same time, it can enhance your phone-using experience and feel more premium. Hence, why Apple offers this feature on its Pro iPhones. When the screen doesn’t need to refresh at full throttle, if it drops to a slower frequency, that helps in saving battery life to some extent.
Gamers can enjoy smoother animations and lower input lag in supported games on an iPhone with a ProMotion display.
In our iPhone 13 Pro review, which was the first time we experienced ProMotion on an iPhone, and we said, “Apple has finally brought it to its iPhones now, reserving it only for the Pro models. Dubbed ProMotion in Apple speak, the LTPO display on the iPhone 13 Pro (and on its Max sibling) can refresh as low as 10 times a second, going up as high as 120 times a second. This basically results in smoother screen interaction, blur-free scrolling and jerk-free animations. iOS has generally been an extremely fluid interface, so the difference might not be night and day… but look closely, and it’s there. And once you do get used it, going back to an older iPhone could be tough“.
List of iPhones with ProMotion display
Here are several iPhones launched in the last couple of years that sport a 120Hz refresh rate, allowing users to experience smooth animations:
- iPhone 16 Pro: iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch 1-120Hz refresh rate LTPO OLED display with HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1,000 nits brightness and 2,000 nits High Brightness Mode.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch 120Hz refresh rate LTPO OLED display with HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1,000 nits brightness and 2,000 nits High Brightness Mode.
- iPhone 15 Pro: iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.1-inch 1-120Hz refresh rate LTPO OLED display with HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1,000 nits brightness and 2,000 nits High Brightness Mode.
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.7-inch 1-120Hz refresh rate LTPO OLED display with HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1,000 nits brightness and 2,000 nits High Brightness Mode.
- Rest, iPhone 14 Pro series and iPhone 13 series support ProMotion. In fact, the first-ever set of iPhones to sport a ProMotion display was the iPhone 13 Pro series. But being first gen, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max’s screens refresh between 10Hz to 120Hz range.
An LTPO display can have a variable refresh rate depending on the content on the screen. So, the display doesn’t have to run at a full 120Hz refresh rate always, which can eat away at the battery quicker.
What about ProMotion support on iPhone 17 series?
According to analyst Ross Young (via MacRumors) all iPhone 17 models, including standard, Air, Pro, and Pro Max, are expected to feature ProMotion displays, marking the first time that non-Pro models will include this high-end technology.
If you’re on a regular iPhone and want ProMotion, either upgrade to iPhone 16 Pro or wait for iPhone 17 series.
Apple may be bringing 120Hz to all iPhone 17 models, as a high refresh rate panel is a standard expectation from the market in 2025. Even midrange phones in the Android world have it. Since this tech has been around for a while, the procurement cost for Apple may be low now.
As per Weibo user Fixed Focus Digital, Apple may still differentiate the standard iPhone 17 from the Pro models by using an LTPS display instead of an LTPO panel. This means the regular models would lack adaptive refresh rates that go as low as 1Hz and up to 120Hz, a feature found on ProMotion displays. While this would make the screen smoother than before, it will not deliver the same battery efficiency benefits as the Pro models.
Nonetheless, this will allow the users of the standard iPhone 17 to experience a smooth scrolling experience, an experience which has been restricted to the premium iPhones all these years. Combined with iOS 26’s Liquid Glass design language, the improvement in visuals and interactivity with the UI could see a major jump across all iPhones.
How to enable or disable ProMotion on iPhone
The ProMotion feature is enabled by default and if you want to disable it, you have to do the following:
Step 1: Open Settings
Step 2: Tap on Accessibility
Step 3: Tap on Motion
Step 4: Toggle on Limit Frame Rate
Now, ProMotion is disabled and the screen will refresh at a lower speed. To enable ProMotion, go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Toggle off Limit Frame Rate.
FAQs
Does the iPhone 16 have ProMotion?
No, the iPhone 16 doesn’t have a ProMotion display. It has a 60Hz panel.
Does my iPhone ProMotion display always run at 120Hz?
No, it dynamically changes to a lower frequency (hertz) based on the content/activity on the screen.
Which is the first iPhone with a ProMotion display?
The iPhone 13 Pro series is the first with a ProMotion display. iPhone 12 Pro series and before had a 60Hz panel only. Meanwhile, the 2017 Razer Phone was the first Android phone with a 120Hz panel.
What is a touch sampling rate and how is it different from the refresh rate?
Well, the touch sampling rate is how fast the screen responds to your touch and the refresh rate is how fast the screen changes the pixels to smoothly present the content on screen. The screen refresh rate can change based on any activity on the screen (touch or otherwise).
How to check your iPhone refresh rate?
You could test it by comparing how the animations and scrolling feel to a phone with a 60Hz refresh rate. Or, checking on the same iPhone by turning on the Limit Frame Rate option and comparing how it differs when ProMotion is on.
What other Apple devices support the ProMotion display?
Other Apple devices with ProMotion display include: iPad Pro series since the 2nd generation and all MacBook Pro models with M-series chips and the redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops introduced in 2021 and later support ProMotion adaptive refresh displays.
