Other Honestly, does 120 Hz even matter on iPhone displays?

[lordhamster]

I think it makes a difference

personally I can’t go back to 60hz on iPads

once you see 120hz on phones, you will notice 60hz

Does it matter though? iPhone 12 will likely be best selling phone this next fiscal year so no

It is important to Note (pun intended) that on the Samsungs having refresh at 120hz limits your display resolution to 1080p so you kind of bork your nice high-res screen in favor of refresh. All three of the Samsung Note 20 Ultra owners I know have the 120hz feature turned off in favor of higher resolution.

I'm sure Apple would do a more dynamic thing like they did on iPad Pro. Personally, I'm coming from a Pixel 4XL that had a 90hz display. I simply cannot tell a difference between it and my pro-max when scrolling... but I realize some people can... and the 120hz-60hz difference should be more noticeable.

 

[Pilot Jones]

For Battery life. 🤷🏾‍♂️

There are plenty of androids with 120 Hz who have fantastic battery life, even without the insanely good optimization that iPhones/iOS and other Apple devices have.

This battery life argument would've made sense 2 years ago, but the technology to implement high refresh rates effectively without too much sacrifice already exists.

Apple just hasn't done it yet for some reason. Probably feature-hoarding to make sure the iPhone doesn't look too stagnant when it's updated annually.

 

[javisan]

Probably feature-hoarding to make sure the iPhone doesn't look too stagnant when it's updated annually.

Bingo...

Same for making the 12 slightly thinner than the 11 and including a lower mAh battery, the plan is to add back those mm of thickness in a year or two, fit in the battery with the higher mAh once again and boom, there you have your killer feature: even more amazing battery life.

 

[C. Robert]

Of course it would be nice but not if it kills the battery.

 

[Abazigal]

It matters only because the iPhone doesn't yet have it.

Like 5g.

 

[bandrews]

I've got a 12 mini, Pixel 5 and iPad Pro. 60/90/120Hz is so far down my list of priorities I really don't care. There are things I like more about the Pixel than the iPhone but that isn't one i notice.

 

[chad.petree]

There are plenty of androids with 120 Hz who have fantastic battery life, even without the insanely good optimization that iPhones/iOS and other Apple devices have.

This battery life argument would've made sense 2 years ago, but the technology to implement high refresh rates effectively without too much sacrifice already exists.

Apple just hasn't done it yet for some reason. Probably feature-hoarding to make sure the iPhone doesn't look too stagnant when it's updated annually

Bingo...

Same for making the 12 slightly thinner than the 11 and including a lower mAh battery, the plan is to add back those mm of thickness in a year or two, fit in the battery with the higher mAh once again and boom, there you have your killer feature: even more amazing battery life.

Couldn't agree more, the pixel has a 90 hz screen and amazing battery life, also people saying oh android phones have 120 hz but have to turn the resolution down to 1080p, hmmm the iphones have pretty much 1080p screens, their screens have marginaly higher resolution than 1080p, they are not qhd

And yeah, in 2021 we will get a 120 hz with the same battery life and in 2022 AMAZING battery life by putting back those mAh they took away with the iphone 12 lol

 

[nmeed]

I mean, just go to Best Buy and play with a Note 20 Ultra. It’s literally night and day. Maybe 60hz is not “too slow” for most people as you said, but that bump in refresh rate makes a world of difference. You’d never be able to go back. Apple not releasing 120hz on at least the max phone this year would be an absolute joke. But sadly most won’t care

I’m sure it’s a world of difference on the Note. What I’m curious about is the difference it would make on an iPhone. I believe Android has never been as smooth as iOS, at least that’s what I’ve read. And as such, a higher refresh rate would help fix that. “Smooth” is a word I’ve read to describe iOS for many years now. How big of a difference will it make on the iPhone? To that point, how much ram is the Note up to nowadays? 16GB? We don’t complain about that with the iPhones because we understand even with only 6, we are performing better/faster. Having said that, I’m not sure that will be the case with the refresh rate. If you had to ask me? Next year Apple is going to make a huge deal about ProMotion coming to the iPhone lol. But I just bought a 12 Pro Max, so it’s really not that important .
I will say, I did enjoy it on the iPad, it really was something. So to me this is a wait and see, but will undoubtedly be deemed revolutionary in about a year.

 

[Tsepz]

I’ve had the first gen 12.9” iPad Pro without the 120 Hz Pro Motion and now with the 2018 12.9” iPad Pro with Pro Motion.

It was just a pleasant experience to glide through pages smoothly on such a big screen and on top of that, a slight improvement on Apple Pencil latency. It was probably the biggest upgrade I’ve had in terms of screen quality. So to me, that was a game changer on the iPad.

I’m not sure if the experience or the feel can be replicated on smaller screens. Like, sure it would be nice, but it also feels overrated at the same time. On an iPhone screen, I never once thought the 60 Hz refresh rate is bad or too slow.

(This could just be me justifying the upcoming iPhones without 120Hz screen haha)

Would love to hear other thoughts and opinions from this forum 🙂

I agree as someone who also has a iPad Pro with ProMotion as well as Huawei P40 Pro with 90hz display refresh rate.

Between my iPad Pro, P40 Pro and 11 Pro Max, I cannot say I NEED 120hz on my phone, I love it on my iPad Pro it’s more convenient on the huge display but on my phone? Not so much.

iPhones also come with high Touch Rate compared to other 60Hz phones so I think that also helps in making up for lack of high refresh rate.

 

[Selmir]

I just got my gold iPhone 12 Pro Max yesterday. I have read entire thread and I understand that some people wants the best of the best. But how will Apple sell their phones every year if they brought literally every detail every year and made the “prefect” phone so it can be kept for like seven years, as for example my old iPhone 5S?

120 Hz has also its downside. It’s may look smoother but it will also lower your resolution so it becomes blurry. So to me it makes no sense on a phone, just like this guy says here in 6:29 in the video:

Of course next time iPhone 14 would have 120 Hz but on what cost? On the cost to have blurry screen and also shortened battery time. It will always be comprises: do this then will this happen. Or do that then that will happen. I can tell that 90% of Android users with 120 Hz don’t even put 120 Hz mode on, but run on 60 Hz. Because it saves battery and you get more detailed screen without being blurred.

 

[The Game 161]

I just got my gold iPhone 12 Pro Max yesterday. I have read entire thread and I understand that some people wants the best of the best. But how will Apple sell their phones every year if they brought literally every detail every year and made the “prefect” phone so it can be kept for like seven years, as for example my old iPhone 5S?

120 Hz has also its downside. It’s may look smoother but it will also lower your resolution so it becomes blurry. So to me it makes no sense on a phone, just like this guy says here in 6:29 in the video:

Of course next time iPhone 14 would have 120 Hz but on what cost? On the cost to have blurry screen and also shortened battery time. It will always be comprises: do this then will this happen. Or do that then that will happen. I can tell that 90% of Android users with 120 Hz don’t even put 120 Hz mode on, but run on 60 Hz. Because it saves battery and you get more detailed screen without being blurred.

most android users do not use it at 60hz most keep it at 120hz as the battery life is still great with it on. S20FE has 120hz and it lasts all day easily.

there is no blurry displays with 120hz thats for sure.apple will bring pro motion in 2021 mainly due to the fact it will have LTPO displays which will help a lot for battery life. The same thats in the note 20 ultra and fold 2. while the note ultra can't run 120hz at full resolution the S21 ultra released in a few months will.

when pro motion comes next year people will love it as although it doesn't make you use your phone any differently it will feel smoother.

apple do an amazing job with their 60hz displays as they still feel very smooth but pro motion will certainly seem even better when it comes on next years models

 

[max2]

Yes.

 

[chad.petree]

I just got my gold iPhone 12 Pro Max yesterday. I have read entire thread and I understand that some people wants the best of the best. But how will Apple sell their phones every year if they brought literally every detail every year and made the “prefect” phone so it can be kept for like seven years, as for example my old iPhone 5S?

120 Hz has also its downside. It’s may look smoother but it will also lower your resolution so it becomes blurry. So to me it makes no sense on a phone, just like this guy says here in 6:29 in the video:

Of course next time iPhone 14 would have 120 Hz but on what cost? On the cost to have blurry screen and also shortened battery time. It will always be comprises: do this then will this happen. Or do that then that will happen. I can tell that 90% of Android users with 120 Hz don’t even put 120 Hz mode on, but run on 60 Hz. Because it saves battery and you get more detailed screen without being blurred.

Android phones with 120 hz do not look blurry, lol they run at a resolution very close to 1080p which is basically what the iPhone has, android phones switch down the resolution because most android phones have phd screens which is indeed higher resolution than 1080p and quite a bit higher resolution than what the iPhone has ...

 

[Selmir]

Android phones with 120 hz do not look blurry, lol they run at a resolution very close to 1080p which is basically what the iPhone has, android phones switch down the resolution because most android phones have phd screens which is indeed higher resolution than 1080p and quite a bit higher resolution than what the iPhone has ...

Judging for from this guy and others who compared them, I would say its not. But hey, I will see it soon enough for myself and compare SGS20 Note Ultra. In case everyone else who did all these tests and concluded that they actually DO blur was wrong I mean.

Also, you can read it all here too, even other things: https://www.androidauthority.com/refresh-rate-wars-are-dumb-1075825/

So if you think there are any games who runs 120 fps on Play Store or App Store, I can enlighten you that there aren’t any. All runs at 60 fps at MAXIMUM.

 

[snipr125]

A lot of the Android phones with 90-120 hz refresh rates have considerably larger battery capacities than iphones in general. Most have at least 3500+ Mh batteries, with some more than 4000 so they have that headroom to have 120hz screens and last at least a day with general use. Also its Apple so they never release anything half baked, so they maybe still have not perfected pro motion variable refresh rate on oled screens yet.

 

[Selmir]

A lot of the Android phones with 90-120 hz refresh rates have considerably larger battery capacities than iphones in general. Most have at least 3500+ Mh batteries, with some more than 4000 so they have that headroom to have 120hz screens and last at least a day with general use. Also its Apple so they never release anything half baked, so they maybe still have not perfected pro motion variable refresh rate on oled screens yet.

My current phone is SGS10+ has 4100 mAh capacity along with an 60 Hz super amoled. When I use the phone a bit, Fb or forums, I can barely have it a day as it is. 100% 7 am when I woke up, and when I come from work (school - I’m a teacher) around 17:30 (5:30 pm) it’s less than 50%. If I had bought SGS20+ and had it only on 120 Hz mode, I would be forced to charge that phone on work. So no, they won’t last “at least a day with general use”. Then again I’m from Europe/Sweden and we don’t have Qualcomm’s chip who is like 7-10% better.

 

[Bstephens]

Yeap apple is still working on perfecting the implementation of pro motion on the iPhones so as not to just cram a huge battery in as a bandaid and call it a day.

 

[Selmir]

I have now compared iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Note Ultra side by side at an Swedish operator Tele2s store. They even unlocked them for me from the dashboard they were locked on. Both are great phones, but if you compare the display all and all (brightness, details etc.), iPhone 12 Pro Max had the edge over the SGS20 Note Ultra. It did exactly what I thought (Samsung) but an lower resolution on 120 Hz when I put that mode on. On 60 Hz it looked nice though. And smooth.

When I scrolled left to right with 120 Hz mode on while also having 12 Pro Max side by side, I didn’t noticed a thing to be honest with my eyes, no matter how much I stared at them both. I did however noticed that SGS20 Note Ultra had SLIGHTLY faster response, and that’s just slightly. And that’s it. All games who were preinstalled on it were 60 fps-games. I did switch back and forth from the Note to the 12 Pro Max to see IF “when you have 120 Hz display you won’t go back”-thing was an myth or true. I was long time on Note to be honest, more than on iPhone. It was an myth, since I went back many times to the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s warm and colorful panel who also was smooth to scroll. “Lagom” fast, as we Swedes say. Just as an phone should. Note was fast but not faster enough no matter how much I starred at it and tried to scroll as an maniac with my fingers. Side by side.

So, can anyone enlighten me on exactly WHAT is Samsung Galaxy S20 Note Ultra having “better” display or “advantage” over iPhone 12 Pro Max’s? And what apps will it have to make benefit out of 120 fps? PC games, if they are any put on Play Store? Have You who are filled negativity here even bothered to run an hour long test as I did now? I really did test it, and since they didn’t had such much customers the nice staff from Tele2 allowed me that. I was basically alone.

So please, run a test as I did side by side instead of looking only on Youtubers. And judge it from that. That’s my advice. For me 120 Hz is only a dumb hype since there is no really use for it and secondly your eyes can BARELY make the difference even if you put it side by side. I won’t return my golden Pro Max. And I won’t either bother that it’s “only” 60 fps. An truly I-country issue lol... Why I’m changing from SGS10+ is because battery drain and that’s it.

 

[The Game 161]

I have now compared iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Note Ultra side by side at an Swedish operator Tele2s store. They even unlocked them for me from the dashboard they were locked on. Both are great phones, but if you compare the display all and all (brightness, details etc.), iPhone 12 Pro Max had the edge over the SGS20 Note Ultra. It did exactly what I thought (Samsung) but an lower resolution on 120 Hz when I put that mode on. On 60 Hz it looked nice though. And smooth.

When I scrolled left to right with 120 Hz mode on while also having 12 Pro Max side by side, I didn’t noticed a thing to be honest with my eyes, no matter how much I stared at them both. I did however noticed that SGS20 Note Ultra had SLIGHTLY faster response, and that’s just slightly. And that’s it. All games who were preinstalled on it were 60 fps-games. I did switch back and forth from the Note to the 12 Pro Max to see IF “when you have 120 Hz display you won’t go back”-thing was an myth or true. I was long time on Note to be honest, more than on iPhone. It was an myth, since I went back many times to the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s warm and colorful panel who also was smooth to scroll. “Lagom” fast, as we Swedes say. Just as an phone should. Note was fast but not faster enough no matter how much I starred at it and tried to scroll as an maniac with my fingers. Side by side.

So, can anyone enlighten me on exactly WHAT is Samsung Galaxy S20 Note Ultra having “better” display or “advantage” over iPhone 12 Pro Max’s? And what apps will it have to make benefit out of 120 fps? PC games, if they are any put on Play Store? Have You who are filled negativity here even bothered to run an hour long test as I did now? I really did test it, and since they didn’t had such much customers the nice staff from Tele2 allowed me that. I was basically alone.

So please, run a test as I did side by side instead of looking only on Youtubers. And judge it from that. That’s my advice. For me 120 Hz is only a dumb hype since there is no really use for it and secondly your eyes can BARELY make the difference even if you put it side by side. I won’t return my golden Pro Max. And I won’t either bother that it’s “only” 60 fps. An truly I-country issue lol... Why I’m changing from SGS10+ is because battery drain and that’s it.

Seems to me you have tried to convince yourself there’s no difference

the point isn’t what games you can use with 120hz it’s about the overall smoothness of the phone. Scrolling through articles and Twitter is so much better than with 60hz

forget youtubers I have had fold 2 for a number of months and battery life is great with adaptive 120hz on all the time and on heavy usage you can get a good 7-8 hours screen time and lasts all day

so to say using 120hz on all day means battery is bad is wrong

apple will add ltpo which will help with battery life for 2021 and why they will add it

 

[snipr125]

My current phone is SGS10+ has 4100 mAh capacity along with an 60 Hz super amoled. When I use the phone a bit, Fb or forums, I can barely have it a day as it is. 100% 7 am when I woke up, and when I come from work (school - I’m a teacher) around 17:30 (5:30 pm) it’s less than 50%. If I had bought SGS20+ and had it only on 120 Hz mode, I would be forced to charge that phone on work. So no, they won’t last “at least a day with general use”. Then again I’m from Europe/Sweden and we don’t have Qualcomm’s chip who is like 7-10% better.

Selmir, the galaxy s20 plus has a larger 4,500 mh battery and from reviews it generally gets through a day of use in 120 MHz mode. My wife has the same phone, but we turned off 120 MHz mode as she just destroys it with constantly (I mean constantly) using social networking apps especially instagram, but this is a different use case.

 

[maracuch0]

I came from Note 20 ultra to 12 pro max.. the 120hz is noticeable for me but it’s not a big deal on a phone compared to a 144hz gaming monitor. Would it be nice to have on the iPhone? Heck yeah. And I decided to change was due to battery life. The Note 20 ultra is definitely not an all day battery phone compared to the iPhone. Had to top off a charge by afternoon in order for it to last me all day/night. Also I tried changing the resolution on note 20 ultra from 1080p to QuadHD and I notice a lot of stutters compared to 120hz.

 

[Next Stop]

I came from Note 20 ultra to 12 pro max.. the 120hz is noticeable for me but it’s not a big deal on a phone compared to a 144hz gaming monitor. Would it be nice to have on the iPhone? Heck yeah. And I decided to change was due to battery life. The Note 20 ultra is definitely not an all day battery phone compared to the iPhone. Had to top off a charge by afternoon in order for it to last me all day/night. Also I tried changing the resolution on note 20 ultra from 1080p to QuadHD and I notice a lot of stutters compared to 120hz.

Not happening.

 

[C. Robert]

Android is in a spec war. They just throw numbers at their devices regardless of if it needs it or not. There are trade offs with apple. You get a better built device, bespoke software, the greatest service with real stores, and you don’t get stuff you don’t need. Like a way to charge it or usb-c.

 

[gtg465x]

Couldn't agree more, the pixel has a 90 hz screen and amazing battery life, also people saying oh android phones have 120 hz but have to turn the resolution down to 1080p, hmmm the iphones have pretty much 1080p screens, their screens have marginaly higher resolution than 1080p, they are not qhd

And yeah, in 2021 we will get a 120 hz with the same battery life and in 2022 AMAZING battery life by putting back those mAh they took away with the iphone 12 lol

The Pro Max at 1284p is closer to QHD / 1440p than it is to FHD / 1080p, but yes, the 6.1" 12s are closer to 1080p, and the Mini is exactly 1080p.

 

[freakomac]

I could easily tell the difference between 120 and 60 hz in the iPads, on phones unless really Apple gets it on the iPhone I wouldnt be able to tell. I have used Androids with 90/120 hz, it feels 'fast for android', but iPhones have always been smooth and fast.