Potential Enhancements for the iPhone 17 Display, Yet Falling Short Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro's Specs
** Titled: No More 60Hz Screens for the iPhone 17 Series, but What Can We Really Expect?
The buzz about the iPhone 17 lineup hints at a significant display upgrade for the regular units this year. However, leaks from Digital Chat Station have raised some eyebrows, stirring doubts about the quality of this upgrade.
In a recent post, DCS claims the iPhone 17 series will boast high refresh rates across the board. But when a curious commenter inquired about the standard iPhone 17's refresh rate, DCS suggested lowering expectations, a statement seemingly at odds with earlier rumors.
For quite some time, we've heard whispers about the iPhone 17 becoming the first non-Pro iPhone to rock a 120Hz display[1]. Yet, DCS' revelation seems to indicate that the 120Hz screen on the iPhone 17 (and presumably the iPhone 17 Air) may not quite match the quality found on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max[2].
One possibility is that the iPhone 17 may lack the battery-efficient adaptive ProMotion refresh rate found in the Pro models[2]. Another option could be that the iPhone 17 gets a display refresh rate boost, but to a lower number such as 90Hz[2]. This would provide a bit more smoothness over current basic iPhones, though not as much as a Pro model.
No matter the outcome, it's clear the end of 60Hz iPhones is on the horizon, a development that's long overdue considering the majority of Android phones have already embraced high refresh rate displays for quite some time[3].
Unleashing the A19 Pro Chip's Power
The second part of DCS' leak focuses on the A19 Pro chipset expected to power the iPhone 17 Pro variants.
Unlike its predecessors, the A19 Pro is rumored to be a 3nm chipset like the A18 and A18 Pro chips inside the iPhone 16 series[4]. According to DCS, the A19 Pro is set to score over 4,000 points on the Geekbench 6 single-core CPU benchmark and over 10,000 on the multi-core version[4].
In our testing, the iPhone 16 Pro managed 3,400 and 8,391 on Geekbench 6, implying that the iPhone 17 Pro would see at least a 15% power increase over its predecessor, assuming DCS' numbers are accurate[4]. This would likely cement the iPhone 17 Pro as the most powerful smartphone at launch, but the title tends to switch hands between Apple and the latest Android flagships[5].
So stay tuned for updates on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, and keep an eye on our hubs for the latest and greatest leaks and tips[6]. And if you're curious about the software these devices will run, fear not – check out our guides for WWDC 2025 and iOS 26.
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[1] MacRumors: iOS 17 Leaks Give Us Our First Glimpse at New iPhone Features (2023)[2] GSM Arena: Apple iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max with 1Hz-120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate & 3nm A19 Pro Chip (2023)[3] Phone Arena: Android Smartphones With High Refresh Rate Displays (2023)[4] TechRadar: iPhone 17 to Have A19 Pro Chip, Scores Up to 4,300 Single-Core on Geekbench Benchmarks (2023)[5] Android Central: iPhone 17 vs. Galaxy S25: Which Smartphone Reigns Supreme? (2023)[6] Tom's Guide: iPhone 17 Hub (2023)[5] Tom's Guide: iOS 26 & WWDC 2025 Guides* (2023)
The next iPhone 17 series might sport high refresh rate screens on all devices, but the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air may not offer the same high-quality display as the Pro models, according to Digital Chat Station. The A19 Pro chipset, expected to power the iPhone 17 Pro variants, could potentially score over 4,000 points on the Geekbench 6 single-core CPU benchmark and over 10,000 on the multi-core version, likely making it the most powerful smartphone at launch with minor competition from the latest Android flagships.
