A new Apple patent published a few days ago describes an iPhone screen that, with the high refresh mode activated, may be able to refresh the image at double, triple or quadruple the native refresh rate.
For example, an iPhone with a 60Hz refresh rate would be able to increase its variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, 180Hz or 240Hz automatically.
The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the content appears on the screen. All current iPhones have a 60Hz refresh rate, but since 2017, all iPad Pro models feature ProMotion technology, which allows a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
Rumors suggest that the iPhone 13 will arrive with screens with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz , depending on what the user is doing to preserve battery life.
Although the ability of a device to switch between 60 and 120Hz is not new, the patent describes the ability of an iPhone to bring the refresh rate up to 180 or 240Hz, above any other smartphone.
The absence of a 120Hz refresh rate on the iPhone so far could be related to the fact that Apple tends to be careful when adding features that could be detrimental to battery life or the performance of the entire system. In fact, iPhones are one of the few smartphones that do not offer an always-on screen.
Rumor has it that Apple will compensate for the higher power consumption by adopting low-power LTPO display technology for the iPhone 13s, allowing it to offer 120Hz without impact on battery life.
This week, new rumors claim that, in addition to a refresh rate of 120 Hz, the iPhone 13 family will also have an always-on display. The always-on display will allow users to see certain information, such as time, date, or battery life, at all times.
