Explanation: This is how adaptive refresh rates work on iPhone 13 Pro and other phones

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Each year, Apple adds a feature or two to its flagship iPhone model, which, while nothing new, has the ability to move the entire industry. This year has been no different with the recent iPhone 13 Pro range offering a 120Hz high refresh rate display that Apple calls ProMotion. High-end Android phones from Samsung and others have had this feature for a couple of years, but as Apple is making it easier for developers to benefit from this feature, it will gain more adoption in the industry.

Here’s what adaptive refresh rate means, how user interaction with the smartphone changes.

What is the refresh rate?

Whether it’s a TV, PC monitor, or smartphone, all devices constantly change the pixels displayed to project the look of motion. Simply put, refresh rate indicates how many times the image on a screen can be refreshed or refreshed every second, much faster than the eye can detect. The refresh rate is measured in Hertz (Hz). For example, your HD TV at home has a 60Hz refresh rate like the iPhone 12 series. A 60Hz TV can refresh the screen 60 times per second, while a 120Hz on iPhone 13 Pro can refresh the screen 120 times per second. . The higher the refresh rate, the more times per second the screen updates its pixels.

Refresh rate vs frame rate

While the refresh rate is the number of times per second that an image is refreshed or flashes on the screen, the frame rate is the rate at which the frames appear in a display and form moving images. When a video is viewed on a screen, the speed at which it plays is also known as the frame rate. Experts believe that the human eye can see between 30 and 60 frames per second. Movies are shot and played back at a speed of 24 frames per second. To be clear: there are 24 frames in 1 second of video. This is the standard frame rate for videos.

If you’re shooting video using a smartphone camera, 30 frames per second (FPS) is almost the standard now. Games, meanwhile, are created with up to 120 FPS. For the best viewing experience, refresh rates and frame rates must work together. For example, a mobile game running at 120 frames per second should appear smooth on a 120Hz display compared to the same game running at 60fps on a 60Hz display.

So what is an adaptive refresh rate?

When a display has an adaptive refresh rate, such as with the ProMotion display on the new iPhone 13 Pro series, the refresh rate changes from 10Hz to 120Hz depending on the content being played some Samsung phones offer between 48Hz and 120Hz. So a static website will play with a 10Hz refresh rate and a game with a 120Hz refresh rate. This means there is little chance of providing insufficient or excessive refresh rate. Apple doesn’t offer users the ability to set a default refresh rate on phones like some Android phones do. But developers will have the ability to code in such a way that they can set specific refresh rates for different aspects of their app.

When is the refresh rate important?

Faster refresh rates are generally better for handling motion, especially when watching action movies, playing video games, or scrolling through the Twitter timeline. If you’re into hardcore mobile gaming, the high-refresh display makes a huge difference.

Would you see a drastic change in the way you use your smartphone? Absolutely not 60Hz displays are good enough for average consumers, but companies like Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus believe that a 120Hz display is a professional feature, aimed at a specific audience. This is why the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are limited to a 60Hz display, while the high-end iPhone 13 Pro series has a display that can go up to 120Hz.

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Does a high refresh rate affect games?

Yes and No. If you play a casual game like Super Mario Run or Subway Surfers on the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it doesn’t really take advantage of a 120Hz ProMotion display. But if you play Alto’s Odyssey or Dead Trigger 2 on the iPhone 13 Pro Max, those games will benefit from using the 120Hz display. You’ll actually notice that this results in better motion resolution, reduced ghosting, and better responsiveness. Much of what adaptive displays offer is driven by the powerful processors and low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) displays that are making their way onto phones these days, even more so when the system has to decide what refresh rate to show when. .

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.but a high refresh rate may affect battery life

Another reason to add an adaptive display in phones that offer a 120Hz display is the impact higher refresh rates have on battery life. So the adaptive refresh rate in new iPhones and phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is designed to save the phone’s battery life by increasing refresh rates only when they’re really needed.

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