LTPO Displays Supporting 120Hz Refresh Rates Again Rumored for iPhone 13 Pro Models

The two higher-end "iPhone 13 Pro" models that are coming in 2021 are expected to use LTPO display technology to enable 120Hz refresh rates, according to display analyst Ross Young.

iphone 12 120hz thumbnail feature
Young reaffirmed the detail in a tweet that said he'd heard rumors about only one model featuring LTPO, which he says is inaccurate.


LTPO OLED displays feature a more power efficient backplane able to turn the individual pixels on and off on the display, better preserving battery life. Young has previously said that LTPO technology is linked to 120Hz refresh rates and will need to be implemented before ProMotion can be brought to the ‌iPhone‌, otherwise the 120Hz refresh rate would drain too much battery life.

At this point, multiple rumors have confirmed both LTPO technology and 120Hz refresh rates for the two Pro-level ‌iPhone‌ 13 models. 120Hz ProMotion displays were rumored for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models as well, but Apple did not implement them and instead saved the feature for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup.

Samsung will supply most of the LTPO OLED displays to Apple, with Apple also potentially sourcing displays from BOE and LG Display.

Apple has long offered 120Hz refresh rates in the iPad Pro lineup. As on the iPad, the higher refresh rate on the ‌iPhone‌ will make motion content on the screen smoother, crisper, and more responsive for tasks like reading, gaming, and more.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...

Top Rated Comments

abowlby Avatar
53 months ago
For those asking, high refresh rates are more easily appreciated when they are gone. You notice their absence more than their presence. That alone is characteristically very much like an "Apple feature."

For those acting like it's a gimmick, come back and +1 this comment after you use one for awhile. Saying higher refresh rates are a gimmick is the same as saying higher resolution or "retina" displays are a gimmick. They objectively are not.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Metrosey Avatar
53 months ago

Probably the biggest and most exciting feature for me

Scrolling with anything less is a pain in the eyes
You must have really struggled with every single iPhone then and every phone before 2018, that must be really annoying for you.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apparatchik Avatar
53 months ago
ProMotion is not about 120hz refresh rate but about variable refresh rate, that’s what was revolutionary about it when it was introduced, so the display can clock down to 24hz or 30hz for video consumption or 10hz for static content.

The times the screen goes all the way up to 120hz is just here and there. So when you scroll text, it can go up and then when you stop to read or to reply a message it goes back down. This allowed Apple to introduce the technology while saving power.

This is also what set it apart from those infamous half-backed Android implementation where the user had to “choose” (sacrifice) between screen resolution, refresh rate or battery life.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
53 months ago
This makes me happy primarily so that people who constantly whine about this will move on to complain about other things that, perhaps, the rest of us can actually see.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DotCom2 Avatar
53 months ago
Can someone please educate me on what the big deal is about this?
I don't seem to have any issue with scrolling on my current iphone 12 Max Pro or my 2018 iPad Pro.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lemon Olive Avatar
53 months ago

This makes me happy primarily so that people who constantly whine about this will move on to complain about other things that, perhaps, the rest of us can actually see.
:rolleyes: The 120 Hz display is the most significant update iPad has gotten since Retina. It makes an unbelievable difference to every single user who looks at the display.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)