The iPhone 17 could launch with a display upgrade that makes the iPhone 17 Pro seem questionable
- All four main iPhone 17 models could get ProMotion displays
- A new rumor suggests Apple is using 120Hz Samsung M14 OLED panels for the supposedly upcoming phones
- A separate rumor suggests the iPhone 17 lineup will get a new Wi-Fi chip
Though Apple has only just completed the iPhone 16 family with the new iPhone 16e, we’re continuing to hear rumors of the next generation of iPhone handsets.
And though the iPhone 16e represents the most budget-focused side of Apple’s smartphone lineup, a new rumor suggests the entire family will get a Pro-level display feature with the next generation of iPhone.
According to a Weibo post from leaker Setsuna Digital (via PhoneArena), all four mainline iPhone 17 models could launch with 1-120Hz variable refresh rate displays, which Apple brands as ProMotion.
As the name implies, Apple has previously limited ProMotion to its Pro devices – iPhone Pro and Pro Max, iPad Pro, and MacBook Pro.
Though Setsuna Digital did not confirm outright that ProMotion would be coming to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus (in addition to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max as standard), the tipster said that all four phones would use Samsung M14 OLED panels, which support variable refresh rates.
However, Apple could still limit the refresh rate of the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus through software, though this would likely face backlash as an egregious example of the company’s famously blunt model differentiation strategy.
The recently launched iPhone 16e makes use of the iPhone 14’s notched 60Hz panel. Though Setsuna Digital makes no mention of a supposed iPhone 17e, there’s ostensibly less chance of a mid-range iPhone receiving the ProMotion upgrade alongside the mainline models.
However, the iPhone 17 series may take cues from the iPhone 16e when it comes to connectivity.
The iPhone 16e is notable as the first device to feature Apple’s new proprietary C1 cellular modem, and another rumor suggests that the iPhone 17 series will all feature a new proprietary Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip – ostensibly alongside the C1 modem.
Reputable analyst and Apple oracle Ming-Chi Kuo suggested in a post to X (formerly Twitter) that the new Wi-Fi chipset would allow for better connectivity between various Apple devices.
So, that’s two rumored upgrades for the iPhone 17. We don’t expect to hear official news of the iPhone 17 series until much later in the year, but for now let us know what you’d like to see in the comments below.