The screen of the iPhone 13 is designed to feature a super smooth refresh rate of 120 Hz, just like the OnePlus 9 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21. And, in fact, Samsung will do it.
It has long been said that the next iPhone will feature LTPO panel technology, which allows the screen to vary its refresh rate automatically based on what is being used. But The Elec’s new report goes a step further, claiming that orders for the new panels have already been placed with the Samsung Display, while another leak noted that the LTPO panel test is already underway.
Samsung Display already has a production line dedicated to making screens for previous iPhones, such as the iPhone 12. However, the Elec report states that this “A3” line will be converted from producing LTPS screens to making LTPO screens, with the change taking place. “in the first half of 2021.” A production target of 70,000 substrates per month was supposedly set.
LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline silicon) displays allow mobile devices to dynamically change their refresh rate. This results in less power consumption, because the phone can decrease the refresh rate when the user does not see the benefit. We saw this technology used in the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy S21 Ultra and Asus ROG Phone 5, and it works great, providing surprisingly long battery life, even with a phone running at 120 Hz or more.
Apple already uses LTPO panels on the Apple Watch 6 and offers 120 Hz “ProMotion” refresh rates on the iPad Pro. We haven’t seen Apple use the two technologies together yet, but earlier rumors have suggested that the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will be the beneficiaries of these LTPO panels.
LG Display and BOE are also providing OLED screens for the iPhone 13, but according to Elec, these will be less advanced LTPS screens – presumably for use on basic iPhone 13 models. This type of OLED display can still provide dynamic refresh rates , but it requires extra components that Apple may not be willing to use on its cheaper iPhones.
The test is happening
If that were not enough, there is also a claim that Apple is testing these LTPO monitors now.
Leaker Digital Chat Station (via Mukul Sharma on Twitter) claimed that Apple is testing the Samsung Display Co. (SDC) screens on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. These models are codenamed D63x and D64x according to DCS, so stay tuned for these names in the future, when we inevitably have more leaks from the iPhone 13.
The news about the current tests is encouraging, as we will have 120 Hz iPhones this year. It was suggested at the beginning of last year that the iPhone 12 series, or at least the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, would receive these screens. But a few months later, that rumor lost credibility, before it was finally proven to be wrong at the launch of the phone. It is still the beginning of the year before the expected debut of the iPhone 13 for September, but the rumors are encouraging for the time being.
In addition to its screen, it is rumored that the iPhone 13 has a smaller notch than previous iPhones, allowing you to get more out of the screen. Also look out for a new A15 chipset and camera improvements in the form of new lenses, larger sensors and improved software.
We expect the iPhone 13 series to appear in September, the usual month for Apple’s iPhone launches. There are many excellent phones to be launched before that, but assuming Apple doesn’t make any unusual slips, the iPhone 13 is likely to be one of the best phones launched in 2021.