Third-Party Apps Can't Take Full Advantage of iPhone 13 Pro 120Hz ProMotion Displays [Updated]

The new iPhone 13 Pro models that launched today are equipped with ProMotion display technology, which allows for adaptive refresh rates ranging from 10Hz all the way to 120Hz, which is ideal for scrolling through content, gaming, and more, because it makes for a smoother viewing experience.

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Though there's a 120Hz maximum refresh rate, App Store developers have found that most app animations are limited to 60Hz, which results in an uneven viewing experience for users. As noted by 9to5Mac, ProMotion works at the full 120Hz for scrolling and full-screen transitions, but animations are limited to 60Hz.

So when you're scrolling through your Twitter timeline, for example, you'll see the smooth ProMotion experience, but animations at 60Hz mean other interactions are noticeably less smooth. Apollo developer Christian Selig has already seen complaints from customers.


Selig speculates that Apple added the 60Hz limitation to preserve battery life on the ‌iPhone‌ models because on the iPad Pro models that also support ProMotion technology, there is no limit and all animations run at 120Hz.


Apple's own apps appear to run at up to 120Hz at all times, so there's also a possibility that this is a bug or an issue that Apple plans to address in a future update.

Update: Apple says that there is a special declaration developers need to use in order for their apps to take advantage of the higher frame rates, but that there is also a Core Animation bug that will be addressed in an upcoming update.

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Top Rated Comments

Joe_ Avatar
50 months ago
$1000 FOR THE CONTACTS APP IN 120HZ… ?


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Score: 81 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChristianSelig Avatar
50 months ago
Who is this guy anyway
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
locrumo Avatar
50 months ago
As expected from Apple.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kalafalas Avatar
50 months ago
This has GOT to be a bug. There’s no way they would limit it while letting the iPads run free. They must have simply forgot to add the 120fps options for those APIs, or launched the OS before it was fully ready.

edit: looks like I was right :)
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
50 months ago

HAHAHAHA!Apple fanboys here used to tell us that apple waited to add 120hz ''in order to make it properly, better than android devices''....Yeah guess what, another example of lazy engineering by Apple...
You lost dude?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
50 months ago
Got my popcorn ready to read all the posts from people that didn’t get the Pro, justifying their choice with an “issue” no one knew existed at the time of choosing what to order.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)