iPhone ProMotion Refresh Rate: Hidden Battery Cost Explained

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19 Dec 2025 • 3 min read

Why your iPhone's 'smooth scrolling' could be killing your battery

What is ProMotion? (brief technical recap)

In this section you'll learn what ProMotion actually is and why Apple calls it that.

ProMotion is Apple's marketing name for a variable‑refresh‑rate display that can swing between 10 Hz for static content and 120 Hz for fast scrolling or gaming. The iPhone 17 line ships with LTPO panels that let iOS dial the rate up or down on the fly, saving power when the screen is idle.

Myth Busted: More Refresh = More Battery Drain

This part explains why the common belief that higher refresh rates always eat more juice is oversimplified.

Because the display can drop to as low as 10 Hz (or even 1 Hz for the Always‑On Display) the battery impact is not a straight line. When you're reading a static page the screen may run at 10 Hz, using far less power than a fixed 60 Hz panel.

Real‑World Evidence: UI Interaction Power Spikes

Here you'll see actual user‑reported data showing how certain actions cause noticeable power spikes.

Reddit users with an iPhone 17 Pro Max on iOS 26 reported that pulling down Control Center or opening the notification shade can push the display to 120 Hz and spike power draw to roughly 10‑14 W. When Low Power Mode is enabled the same actions stay around 5 W, extending screen‑on time dramatically.

These spikes are short‑lived but add up if you frequently access UI overlays, explaining why some users see a few extra hours of battery life when they disable the high‑refresh animations.

How iOS Manages Refresh Rates

This section reveals the adaptive algorithm that decides when to crank the rate up or down.

iOS monitors touch velocity, animation type, and content type. Scrolling, gaming, or AR sessions trigger the 120 Hz mode, while static images, reading, or the lock screen cause the system to fall back to 10‑30 Hz. The OS also respects battery health: on an aged battery it may cap the maximum rate to preserve longevity.

Low Power Mode & Other Mitigations

You'll learn practical steps to keep the battery happy without giving up smoothness.

Turning on Low Power Mode forces iOS to limit peak refresh rates, usually capping them around 60 Hz and keeping power spikes near 5 W. You can also disable "Reduce Motion" for less aggressive animation, or manually set "Maximum Frame Rate" to 60 Hz in Settings → Display & Brightness. [Internal link: related guide]

Developer's Role: Optimizing Apps for Variable Refresh

This part explains what developers can do so their apps truly benefit from ProMotion.

Apps need to declare support for the CADisplayLink's preferredFramesPerSecond and avoid forcing a fixed 60 Hz pipeline. When an app respects the system's refresh‑rate hints, iOS can keep the display at a lower rate during idle UI states, saving battery for the user.

Future Outlook: LTPO, Foldables, and Beyond

Here we glance at upcoming display tech that may change the refresh‑rate landscape.

Apple's next‑gen LTPO panels promise even finer granularity, potentially dropping below 10 Hz for true static screens. Rumors of an all‑screen iPhone with under‑display cameras suggest that future devices will rely even more on adaptive refresh to balance power and ergonomics.

FAQ

What is the iPhone refresh rate? iPhone models with ProMotion use a variable refresh rate that ranges from 10 Hz up to 120 Hz depending on the content.
How does ProMotion affect battery life? When the display runs at lower rates for static content it saves power, but high‑refresh interactions (e.g., scrolling, gaming) can cause short spikes of increased consumption.
Is 120 Hz always better than 60 Hz? The difference is most noticeable in fast scrolling and gaming; for static apps or video playback the benefit is minimal.
Do all apps automatically use 120 Hz? No. Apps must opt‑in by supporting iOS's refresh‑rate hints; otherwise they run at the system‑chosen rate.
Can Low Power Mode reduce the refresh rate? Yes. Low Power Mode typically caps the peak rate around 60 Hz, cutting power spikes roughly in half.
Will future iPhones eliminate the refresh‑rate trade‑off? Upcoming LTPO panels and under‑display camera designs aim for finer granularity, which should further reduce the battery impact of high refresh rates.

Next Steps

Enable Low Power Mode or set "Maximum Frame Rate" to 60 Hz when you need extra battery life.
Check app settings for "Reduce Motion" and keep iOS updated to benefit from the latest refresh‑rate optimizations.
Follow Apple's future LTPO announcements for devices with even lower idle refresh rates.

Research Insights Used

ProMotion is a variable refresh‑rate technology ranging from 10 Hz to 120 Hz (Stuff, 2025‑09‑09).
iPhone 17 models all feature adaptive ProMotion up to 120 Hz (Apple specs).
iOS dynamically lowers the rate for static content and raises it for scrolling, gaming, or AR (AppleInsider, 2025‑09‑25).
User reports show UI actions can spike power draw to 10‑14 W, halved by Low Power Mode (Reddit, 2025‑09‑27).
Always‑On Display runs at 1 Hz to conserve battery (Stuff, 2025‑09‑09).