Third-Party Apps Can’t Take Full Advantage of iPhone 13 Pro 120Hz ProMotion Displays

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The new iPhone 13 Pro models that launched today are equipped with ProMotion display technology, which allows for adaptive refresh rates ranging from 10Hz all the way to 120Hz, which is ideal for scrolling through content, gaming, and more, because it makes for a smoother viewing experience.



Though there’s a 120Hz maximum refresh rate, App Store developers have found that most app animations are limited to 60Hz, which results in an uneven viewing experience for users. As noted by 9to5Mac, ProMotion works at the full 120Hz for scrolling and full-screen transitions, but animations are limited to 60Hz.

So when you’re scrolling through your Twitter timeline, for example, you’ll see the smooth ProMotion experience, but animations at 60Hz mean other interactions are noticeably less smooth. Apollo developer Christian Selig has already seen complaints from customers.

Selig speculates that Apple added the 60Hz limitation to preserve battery life on the iPhone models because on the iPad Pro models that also support ProMotion technology, there is no limit and all animations run at 120Hz.