The latter has been rumoured for quite some time, with various online sources claiming that Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will feature a 120Hz display, double the 60Hz of the current iPhone range. It’d bring the Pro iPhone branding in-line with the iPad Pro range, which has offered a 120Hz display for quite some time now.  It makes sense for Apple to include a high refresh rate display in its upcoming iPhone range, as it seems to be a staple among flagship Android smartphones in 2020, featured on the likes of the OnePlus 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20, and even the budget-focused £219 Realme 6 features a 90Hz display. Essentially, 60Hz just doesn’t cut it any more.  But while it felt like the improved refresh rate was all but confirmed, Ross Young – CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants and the source of many smartphone screen-related leaks – suggests that there won’t be a 120Hz-enabled iPhone in 2020. According to a tweet from Young, none of his contacts could corroborate the rumour, suggesting that Apple won’t bump up the refresh rate until 2021 at the earliest. 

In a reply to a disappointed Apple fan, Young confirmed that he “asked a lot of insiders and they all said no” to the inclusion of a 120Hz display on any model of iPhone 12.  But why would this be the case? According to whispers on the net, Apple is struggling to get its ProMotion 120Hz technology to work on the smaller displays of the iPhone range. It’s a surprising development when you consider how ubiquitous high refresh rate displays have become on Android, and the lack of a 120Hz screen could widen the gap between the iPhone 12 range and the Android competition. That’s especially true of the ‘Pro’ line of devices, which would make it much harder for Apple to justify the (expected) astronomical price of the iPhone Pro collection when it’s released later this year.

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Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.