Now that the iPhone 12 lineup is out there in the wild, and none of them feature a 120Hz refresh rate, it’s time to focus on what’s coming next. And sure enough, the rumor mill is already at it for the iPhone 13.
Korean website The Elec is reporting today that Samsung will be tapped yet again for OLED displays in the upcoming iPhone 13 lineup. That is not at all surprising, considering it isn’t expected that Apple will adopt micro-LED displays in 2021. So sticking with OLED –and Samsung– certainly makes sense. Meanwhile, LG will reportedly be the other display supplier working on OLED displays for next year’s iPhone lineup as well.
However, the more interesting part comes in the features for at least two of the upcoming iPhone 13 models. The report indicates that at least two of the upcoming models, probably the Pro models, will feature LTPO display technology that will make a 120Hz refresh rate possible. That means, if this all pans out, then Apple will adopt the “ProMotion” display, one of the key features for the iPad Pro, for the iPhone lineup.
LTPO display technology would offer a more power efficient backplane, so it’s a win-win both for Apple and future iPhone owners if the company adopts the technology. The other aspect of this display technology? An always-on display. Apple set LTPO in the Apple Watch Series 5 and the Apple Watch Series 6, and both smartwatch models offer always-on display technology. It’s honestly about time the iPhone adopts this feature, too.
There’s no way of knowing right now if Apple is actually going to go down this road quite yet. There were so many rumors suggesting the iPhone 12 would have a 120Hz refresh rate that it almost became a foregone conclusion before the handsets actually launched. However, that feature didn’t make the cut (or was never really planned). It is worth noting that at least one analyst predicted Apple would be waiting until 2021 to adopt this technology and features before the iPhone 12 launched.
We’ll have to wait and see how the iPhone 13 shakes out in this regard.
Are you hoping to see the iPhone 13 lineup adopt an always-on display and the ProMotion feature? Even if it is just two of the models out of the four?