No, iPhone 12’s rumored 120Hz display is not happening after all

Turns out the iPhone 12 will not have a 120hz refresh rate.

James Martin/CNET This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters.

During Apple’s virtual event today, the company unveiled the iPhone 12, and we now know everything about the new phone’s price, specs and 5G capabilities. Before the event, we saw speculation around whether the iPhone 12 models would have a 120Hz screen refresh rate — double that of the iPhone 11. But as it turns out, that’s not the case: It appears the iPhone 12 will have a 60Hz screen refresh rate, matching the iPhone 11 display. 

The number of hertz a phone screen is able to display refers to its number of frames per second, which determines how fast and smooth the screen feels when you’re scrolling through apps and web pages. It also affects how smooth supported games feel. 

Read more: iPhone 12, HomePod Mini and everything Apple announced

There will be four iPhone 12 models, Apple confirmed at its event: the iPhone 12 Mini (5.4-inch), the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro (6.1-inch), and the iPhone 12 Pro Max (6.7-inch). But none will have the 120Hz refresh rate.

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Most phones have a 60Hz refresh rate. But some higher-end models, including the Samsung Galaxy S20 and the OnePlus 8 Pro, have a rate of 120Hz, so it’s surprising that Apple hasn’t added it to its repertoire. On Twitter, tech analyst and leaker Jon Prosser claimed the decision not to implement 120Hz in the iPhone 12 pro was made due to battery life issues, since 5G drains so much battery on its own. 

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The iPhone 12 Pro models were also rumored to have Apple’s proprietary ProMotion display, which you can find in iPad Pro models. This technology dynamically adjusts the display to how content moves for more responsive, fluid scrolling. However, this rumor also proved to be untrue. 

For more, check out how to prepare your current phone before upgrading to the iPhone 12 and the main differences between the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 12.

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