iPhone 13 looks likely to get the variable refresh rate featured on the iPad Pros

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By David Nield
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Rumblings from the supply chain

iPhone 12 Pro Max review
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If you're at all interested in iPhone 13 rumors then you'll want to know that LG is reportedly bumping up its capacity to produce LTPO OLED displays, under orders from Apple, in preparation for the 2021 flagship phone series.

To put it a different way, the iPhone 13 could be set to get the high refresh rates and the variable refresh rate technology (known as ProMotion) that currently appears on the iPad Pros, according to The Elec.

LTPO or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide display technology enables a device to adjust the refresh rate of the screen on the fly, in response to what's being shown. It can also be found in the Apple Watch, where it slows down the refresh rate when the always-on display is in use, conserving battery life.

In the case of the iPad Pro line, LTPO-powered ProMotion technology can change the refresh rate as needed whether you're watching movies or sketching with the Apple Pencil. It's one of the premium features that wasn't carried over to the iPad Air 4.

Screen test

Bringing it back to the iPhone 13, the fact that LG is investing in this (relatively expensive) display technology would seem to indicate that Apple has put an order in ready for next year's iPhones. The tech isn't used in the iPhone 12 series.

As well as bringing the 120Hz refresh rates that were missing from the iPhone 12 models, the introduction of LTPO panels could enable a variable refresh rate on the iPhone 13 handsets – perhaps to save power in standby mode.

According to well-placed analyst Ross Young, the ProMotion feature will only be available on the Pro models next year: so the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, if Apple sticks with the 2020 naming scheme.

At the moment iPhone screen production duty is shared between LG and Samsung, but industry sources say Apple is looking to rely more on LG in the future. If Apple gets back to its usual schedule in 2021, the iPhone 13 should show up sometime in September.

Via PhoneArena

David Nield
David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.