iPhone 17 Finally Gets 120Hz Display, But Still No ProMotion

Apple is reportedly preparing to bring 120Hz displays to the upcoming iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air – a long-awaited change that finally leaves 60Hz in the dust.

But there’s a catch: while the refresh rate might be higher, these screens may not feature ProMotion technology, Apple’s marketing term for LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) panels that dynamically adjust refresh rates between 1Hz and 120Hz.

Historically, Apple reserved ProMotion for its Pro-tier iPhones, enabling not just smoother animations but also better battery life through intelligent refresh rate scaling. Without LTPO, the standard iPhone 17 models will likely be locked to a few fixed rates like 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz – offering some visual improvement, but not the full benefits ProMotion enables.

It’s a decision that has stirred debate. After all, LTPO is no longer cutting-edge or exclusive – it’s featured in several mid-range Android phones. Even Samsung’s non-flagship models adopted the tech years ago. At this point, many feel it should be standard in any phone nearing the €1,000 mark, not just a Pro luxury.

Still, some hope that the iPhone 17 Air – presumably a thinner, lighter version – might sneak in LTPO, especially since smaller batteries would benefit from the efficiency gains of dynamic refresh scaling. But so far, nothing’s confirmed.

There’s also no word yet on whether Always-On Display (AOD), a beloved Pro-exclusive feature, will make its way to the vanilla 17 models. Without LTPO, AOD would be a battery drain, making it unlikely unless Apple surprises us with a custom workaround or a partial LTPO implementation.

Meanwhile, the Pro and Pro Max models of the iPhone 17 are expected to retain full LTPO support and AOD, maintaining their premium appeal. Apple has a long history of segmenting features to upsell higher-tier models, and display tech remains a key differentiator.

Bottom line? Apple’s slowly bringing its base models up to modern standards, but not without compromise. We may get 120Hz, but it’ll likely be the basic version – better than 60Hz, but still a step behind true ProMotion. Whether that’s enough to justify the price tag, or push users toward Pro models, remains to be seen.