A recent report from the Elec has indicated that the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus will be adopting OLED displays with low-power backplane technology, making them the first standard iPhone models to be capable of using the ProMotion feature.
ProMotion is not exactly a new feature for iPhones, as the iPhone 15 Pro uses the same technology, and it is expected that the iPhone 16 Pro will have the same ability. However, the feature has been unavailable for the base models in the range due to a difference in the screen difference between the base and Pro models of the iPhone.
Currently, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus both use low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels, meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro models use the more advanced low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels, and it is only the LTPO panels that can currently make use of ProMotion.
ProMotion has several features that make it ideal for heavy smartphone use as it allows the screen to easily run at a 120Hz refresh rate which means smoother scrolling and video content when required.
It is also possible for ProMotion to cut its refresh rate down to as low as 1Hz, which allows it to keep its lock screen running without draining the battery for long periods.
Apple is currently expected to continue keeping the screens different for the iPhone 16 series, but The Elec's report states that Chinese supplier BOE is aiming to supply LTPO panels for the entire iPhone 17 series, although there is some concern that they may not be able to reach the required production capacity and if that happens then Apple may turn to suppliers like Samsung and LG Display.
This isn't the only news we have heard about the screens for the upcoming iPhone 17. According to display analyst Ross Young, the predicted change for the iPhone 16 series screen to a taller aspect ratio of 19.6:9 and this will trickle down to the iPhone 17, which could make use of the larger 6.27 to 6.86-inch screens.
There are also indications that the iPhone 17 Pro will be much slimmer as well, while the entire series is looking to be more powerful than any of their counterparts as well.
The decision to uniform the screen options between all models of the iPhone 17 is a reasonable one for the company and its customers, as it allows Apple to streamline the production process and boost quality overall. For the time being, we will keep our eyes open and will report on any major changes.
