Sure, the iPhone 16 is exciting, but let's talk about the iPhone 17 instead.
According to a report by the Korean tech site The Elec, the base iPhone 17 and 17 Plus models launching in 2025 will have the same display tech as the current Pro iPhone models. In other words, 120Hz refresh rates and always-on displays are potentially in the cards for non-Pro iPhones next year, which would be a first for Apple. Pro models started getting these advanced features in the last few years, but base models have yet to receive them.
It'll obviously be a year and a half before we know this for certain, but as Apple Insider pointed out, The Elec is a solid source for Apple supply chain reporting. The move would make sense, given that recent flagships from competitors like Google have given users 120Hz refresh rates in lower-end phone models. Apple has been a bit behind the curve on that front, so this would be less about market-leading innovation and more about keeping up with the Joneses.
That said, it would also put the burden on Apple to further differentiate the base models from the Pro models. Sure, the camera differences are usually pretty big, but there might need to be more to justify the price difference as soon as all four phones have something resembling display tech parity.
Just keep this in mind for the next 18 months or so.
