Apple’s “Awe Dropping” iPhone 17 event is Tuesday and we expect to see new fashions of the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. As we inch nearer to Tim Cook dinner beginning the keynote, rumors and leaks concerning the iPhone 17 are nonetheless coming in. We have seen studies of a new selfie camera, sooner MagSafe charging and a new purple (or green) color.
However when the iPhone 16 debuted, there was criticism geared toward its display. The cellphone begins at $829 and nonetheless has a 60Hz show, regardless of most telephones from rivals having high-refresh-rate screens topping off at 90Hz or 120Hz, which provides a smoother scrolling impact that simply seems premium. Provided that Professional fashions have had larger display refresh charges for years, it has been irritating to see Apple not deliver the characteristic to lower-end fashions.
At a time when Apple is underneath stress from a US Division of Justice antitrust lawsuit; dealing with criticism from shareholders and media about being “behind in the AI race” with Apple Intelligence; and coping with threats from President Donald Trump about including a tariff to the iPhone if manufacturing is not relocated to the US, the corporate’s subsequent iPhone launch might be a pivotal second.
The burden is on Apple to ship an thrilling iPhone 17 lineup that features massive adjustments to the iPhone Pro models in addition to a new iPhone Air version. However the “common” base iPhone is due for some TLC, particularly its show. Luckily, there are three rumors circulating that time to the iPhone 17’s display coming with a large replace. Taken collectively, they recommend the display on the iPhone 17 might be one of many largest updates to a base iPhone show in a very long time.
Apple hasn’t introduced something but or confirmed any of those rumors. And we cannot know what’s what for sure till the subsequent iPhone is formally launched. For extra leaks, take a look at CNET’s iPhone 17 rumor roundup.
The iPhone 17’s high-refresh-rate show (120Hz)
The Razer Cellphone had a display that was preferrred for gaming and that ended up being the de facto commonplace on most telephones at present.
In 2018, the Razer Phone debuted with the first-ever high-refresh-rate show. Different telephones on the time had screens locked at a static 60Hz. The Razer Cellphone was geared toward avid gamers, and having a display with a excessive refresh fee made gameplay look extra immersive. It additionally made mundane issues, like system animations or scrolling a social or information feed, look clean and dynamic.
In 2025, practically each main cellphone, together with low-cost ones costing lower than $300, has a 90Hz or 120Hz display — properly, besides the iPhone. Apple first added Professional Movement shows (its identify for a high-refresh-rate display) in 2021, to the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. However non-Professional fashions nonetheless have a static 60Hz show to at the present time. That ought to change quickly.
The iPhone 17 may have a high-refresh-rate display, based on a report from 9to5Mac. The story cites an X publish from Younger that is since been taken down. It is unclear if the display might be an identical to the one on the iPhone 16 Professional or if it will be one thing totally different. But when the iPhone 17 will get an LTPO display with an adaptive refresh fee (with 1 to 120Hz), that might additionally imply the “common” base iPhone 17 will get help for an always-on display. That latter characteristic debuted on the iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max, and is absent from the bottom iPhone 15 and iPhone 16.
The iPhone 17’s 6.3-inch show
The iPhone 16 Professional has a 6.3-inch show.
The common iPhone, relationship again to the iPhone 12, has had a 6.1-inch display. The iPhone 16 has one regardless of the iPhone 16 Pro rocking a 6.3-inch show. However the iPhone 17 will get an identical 6.3-inch show, based on a post on X from supply-chain analyst Ross Younger. That is dangerous information for small-phone followers, although 6.1 inches was already properly past the 5.4-inch display discovered on the iPhone 12 Mini and 13 Mini.
If the elevated display actual property comes from shrinking the bezels across the show, like Apple did with the iPhone 16 Professional, it ought to imply that the iPhone 17 itself might be comparatively the identical dimension because the iPhone 16.
The iPhone 17’s new Ceramic Defend
Each pictures have been taken after seven months of use. The scratches on the iPhone 15 Professional Max (left) actually present on the show. The iPhone 16 Professional has just a few scratches however has held up significantly better.
One of many sleeper additions on the iPhone 16 Professional was that it acquired an up to date Ceramic Defend (the 16 and 16 Plus did not). Simply as a reminder, Ceramic Defend is not simply glass in that it is composed of nano ceramic crystals embedded in a glass matrix. In my long-term review for the 16 Pro, I discovered that the up to date Ceramic Defend was practically unscathed after seven months of use, particularly in contrast with my iPhone 15 Professional Max, which had the unique model of Ceramic Defend and was lined in scratches after the identical period of time.
The iPhone 17 might get a extra scratch resistant show, based on a post from Weibo consumer On the spot Digital. It feels like this may be totally different from Ceramic Defend in that it might even have an antireflective coating, much like the one on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. MacRumors first reported on the rumor and likewise hedged it, saying the brand new coating could’ve been scrapped as a result of it proved too sophisticated to use at scale.
I doubt the iPhone 17 will get an antireflective display, however I would love if it did. I can nonetheless hope, although, that its display comes with a extra sturdy show.
