iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air to Debut Without ProMotion Display Features, Tipster Claims

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are both equipped with OLED displays with a 60Hz refresh rate.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 3 June 2025 19:42 IST

iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air to Debut Without ProMotion Display Features, Tipster Claims

Photo Credit: Apple

iPhone 17 series is expected to succeed the iPhone 16 (pictured) in September

Highlights

Apple's ProMotion display has been a Pro-exclusive hardware feature
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max sport 120Hz OLED displays
Multiple leaks have hinted at a display upgrade for iPhone 17

Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to be the company's first smartphone lineup to feature 120Hz displays on all models. The company has reserved displays with higher refresh rates (branded as ProMotion) on its iPhone Pro models since 2021, using slower 60Hz screens on the standard iPhone models. This year, the base iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air are rumoured to arrive with upgraded 120Hz displays, but a new leak coming out of China states that only part of this information is accurate.

iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air Could Feature Regular 120Hz Displays

Chinese tipster Fixed Focus Digital (translated from Chinese) on Weibo refuted recent rumours related to the 120Hz ProMotion displays on the non-Pro models in the upcoming iPhone 17 series. The tipster claims that iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will get "just an ordinary 120Hz screen", without ProMotion. As a result, they will not support an adaptive refresh rate.

DSCC analyst Ross Young earlier claimed that Apple will introduce ProMotion displays across the entire iPhone 17 lineup for the first time this year. Multiple leaks from different sources have consistently hinted at a display upgrade for the vanilla iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air.

iPhone 17 Might Offer the Screen Upgrade We’ve Been Waiting For

Apple's ProMotion display has been exclusive to the Pro models since it debuted on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models. It improves screen smoothness and responsiveness, offering an enhanced experience during scrolling and gaming.

Last year's iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus feature OLED screens with a 60Hz refresh rate displays. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, in contrast, have OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate (ProMotion). Apple used the same differentiating strategy in the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 14 lineups.

The ProMotion displays can reach up to 120Hz and can dynamically scale down to as low as 1Hz to conserve battery during low-motion tasks. This variable refresh rate also powers features like the always-on display in iPhone Pro models.

This iPhone Emerged as the Best-Selling Smartphone in Q1 2025

The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air are expected to debut at an Apple launch event in September, alongside the purported iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The standard iPhone 17 is tipped to run on the A18 chip. The iPhone 17 Air is said to be equipped with an A19 chip, while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are said to run on an A19 Pro chip.

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iPhone 16

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A18

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 18

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

iPhone 16 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Massive screen size
Brilliant display
Performance beast
Camera Control is a boon
Fantastic battery life

Bad
Big phone for one-hand use
Expensive
No Apple Intelligence at launch
Slow-wired charging support

Read detailed Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review

iPhone 16 Plus

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Stunning display
Solid build quality and lovely colour options
Battery life is bonkers on this one
Excellent for gaming and performance (in general)
Improved cameras

Bad
Still offers a 60Hz refresh rate and misses out on AOD (always-on display)
No fast charging
Comes with USB 2
No Apple Intelligence features out of the box

Read detailed Apple iPhone 16 Plus review

iPhone 16 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.30-inch

Processor Apple A18 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 18

Resolution 1206x2622 pixels

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Further reading: iPhone 17, Apple, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max

Nithya P Nair

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Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and... more »