The iPhone 17 series could usher a new era for display tech

Apple has played a relatively slow (read: stingy) innovation game when it comes to display upgrades on its phones. The company took its own sweet time embracing OLED screens, then did the same with getting rid of the ugly notch, and still has a lot of ground to cover at adopting high refresh rate panels.

The status could finally change next year. According to Korea-based ET News, which cites an industry source, Apple will fit an LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) screen across the entire iPhone 17 series, including the rumored “slim” version and the entry-point model.

It has been pretty confounding to see Android phones costing nearly half as much, but delivering a 120Hz screen. Plus, they’ve topped it off with a more modern look and faster charging perks. However, it seems Apple will at least make one major course correction in 2025.

For the unaware, LTPO is a new kind of backplane technology that allows an OLED screen to vary its refresh rate dynamically while drawing less juice. In doing so, it not only delivers more fluidic touch interactions but also reduces the battery power draw.

So far, Apple has kept this tech limited to the pricier “Pro” models while shipping the dynamic refresh rate capability under the ProMotion label. Thanks to the LTPO tech, Apple has also locked the always-on display perk to its premium iPhones.

But if the latest news coming out of Korea, which is home to Apple’s display suppliers (LG and Samsung) is to be believed, the era of 60Hz screens on iPhones will finally be over. Notably, Apple is also eyeing an OLED upgrade for the iPhone SE next year, but this one will almost certainly stick to a 60Hz format owing to price considerations.

2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Apple smartphones. The company is heavily rumored to launch an iPhone 17 “Slim” model, which some leaks are also referring to as the “Air” trim. This one would rock an overhauled design that will focus on achieving a sleeker profile.

The Dynamic Island might be thinner on this variant, and it is said to retain the same titanium build as its “Pro” siblings. It will likely feature a 6.6-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and might even change the rear camera’s location.

Interestingly, despite being one of the most expensive phones Apple has hawked so far, this one could only serve a single rear camera, probably due to space constraints inside the slim chassis.

Just like the entry-point iPhone 17, the slim version could come armed with the A19 silicon, paired with 8GB of RAM to serve the full Apple Intelligence stack. However, keep in mind that these are early-stage rumors, and depending on cost considerations and supply chain factors, the plans might change down the road.