Cue up the complaints on Tech Twitter, Apple’s doing it again. That is, selling an $800 iPhone with a 60Hz display. Last year, there was a lot of crying over on Twitter about this decision, mostly amongst Tech Twitter, as the average consumer doesn’t really care, nor know the difference between 60Hz and 120Hz.
The thing is, despite all the outrage over a 60Hz display on a phone that costs $800, it still sold like gangbusters. According to Counterpoint Research, for Q1 of 2024, the iPhone 15 was the second best-selling phone of the quarter, behind the iPhone 15 Pro Max. And that was roughly three months after the iPhone 15 series launched. And that proves one thing, most people who are buying a non-Pro iPhone, do not care whether it is 60Hz or 120Hz.
Perhaps the most surprising statistic here is how low the iPhone 15 Plus is, considering it has the best battery life of any iPhone right now. But then again, we have heard that most people looking at a bigger iPhone like the Plus just spend the extra money for the Pro Max model, which appears to be true since Apple’s most expensive iPhone is the best-selling iPhone. Of course, this was for the first quarter of 2024. Results for the second quarter have not come out yet, so this is somewhat old data at this point.
Why does Apple continue to nerf the vanilla iPhone with a 60Hz display?
If you follow and/or cover Apple at all, like I do, you’d know the answer. And it comes down to their marketing terminology for a faster refresh rate. Apple debuted 120Hz, which it called ProMotion, back in 2017, on the iPad Pro. It has since been added to the iPhone Pro models, and MacBook Pro models. But not any other non-Pro devices – not even the iPad Air.
Why? It’s all in the name. ProMotion has “Pro” in the name, and thus it’ll remain a feature for the “Pro” models of its devices. It is kind of a dumb way to do things, as 60Hz is starting to feel pretty old at this point. However, Apple is rumored to be bringing a faster refresh rate to the iPhone 17 next year – a measly 90Hz. Though, I’d be surprised if Apple even mentioned that, nor called it ProMotion.
Apple likes to brand different technology with its own names, for some reason, Apple tends to despise using the same “technology” as other companies. Instead of a FHD display, it’s a Retina Display. Instead of 120Hz, its ProMotion. Instead of Artificial Intelligence, it’s Apple Intelligence, and the list goes on.
Given how many bought the 60Hz iPhone 15 this past year, why would Apple change that for the iPhone 16? If you disagree with Apple’s decision, the easiest way to tell them is with your wallet. Don’t like a 60Hz display on a $800 phone, buy something else. Or keep your current iPhone. Once the 60Hz models start selling poorly, Apple will change their ways. Money speaks volumes to companies like Apple.
Bottom line: Average Consumers don’t care about 60Hz
While those of us on Tech Twitter will call out Apple for charging so much for a 60Hz display, the average consumers (you know, the ones actually buying non-Pro iPhones) don’t care.
If you’ve never used a 120Hz display, then the 60Hz display is going to look perfectly fine to you. However, if you’ve used an iPhone Pro model with ProMotion, and then try to go down to a 60Hz display, you will notice the difference immediately.
As a point of reference, my sister upgraded her iPhone 13 to an iPhone 15 last year, and I asked her about the screen. Does it feel slow, since it’s only 60Hz? She had no clue what I was talking about. I let her use my iPhone 15 Pro Max, and then she went back to her iPhone 15 and immediately saw the difference. I would not expect to see anyone going from a Pro model to a non-Pro model for this reason, but those upgrading after 3-4 or even 5 years, 60Hz isn’t a big deal for them. Likely the better battery life is, however.
Android has $400 phones that are 120Hz
When the Pixel 7a came out last year with a 90Hz display – not even a 60Hz display – many people were complaining that a $450 phone should have a 120Hz display. Which Apple said, hold my beer.
There are plenty of Android phones that are under $400 with 120Hz displays. Of course, those displays aren’t as good as what the iPhone has, despite them all being a variety of OLED panels. The Galaxy A35 is another example of this, it’s retailing for $249 and has a 120Hz display. It’s not alone either, the Galaxy A25, OnePlus Nord N30 5G, and Moto G Stylus (2024) all have 120Hz displays and are all under $300. So what’s Apple’s excuse? There’s two likely reasons for Apple sticking with the same 60Hz display. It comes down to the supply chain – these panels are cheaper, especially in terms of the volumes that Apple buys. And its profit margin. Apple tends to push towards about a 50% profit margin on every product that they sell. Apple also wants to keep the prices the same year-over-year, especially in the US, with so many being on upgrade cycles. Paying more for better displays would cut into that profit margin.
If you don’t like Apple selling an $800 iPhone with a 60Hz display, the easiest thing to do is, not buy it. You can let your voice be known on Twitter, but your wallet speaks much louder.
