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Reddit
reddit.com › r/iphone › promotion display of iphone 13 pro/pro max isn’t true 120hz all the time (even when motion is there)
r/iphone on Reddit: ProMotion display of iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max isn’t true 120Hz all the time (even when motion is there)
February 3, 2023 -

This is sadly true. And I’m not talking about the adaptive nature of the ProMotion display.

For all the iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max users take that test:

Go to the Settings app, start scrolling up and down. It is smooth right? Okay now open Control Center and start screen recording (if you don’t have the screen recording button on the control center, add it for the test). Now before the countdown finishes, close control center and start the scrolling again.

You will notice that until the screen recording starts, the scrolling is “smooth”, but as soon as the countdown finishes and the screen recording starts, the scrolling is noticeably smoother!

You can experience the same thing when swiping between home screen pages, when scrolling on Instagram or Facebook, Safari etc.

For some reason, Apple is limiting the maximum refresh rate of the display to lower than 120Hz (maybe 90-100Hz) and when you recording the screen, the limit unlocks the full 120Hz!

Fun fact: Twitter seems to go up to 120Hz all the time, even without screen recording! And that’s why for months now I have noticed that Twitter app has smoother scrolling than any other app like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube etc!

So if Twitter somehow is forcing the display to go up to 120Hz, why other apps don’t do it? And why even Apple's own apps don’t?!

I’m very disappointed…

Also I don’t now if that’s the case for iPhone 14 Pro models too.

I’m running iOS 16.3

Edit: Twitter may have done that “CADisplayLink” thing you can read bellow, to go up to true 120Hz, as Apple provide instructions to developers.

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/quartzcore/optimizing_promotion_refresh_rates_for_iphone_13_pro_and_ipad_pro

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ScreenRant
screenrant.com › home › tech › tech features › does the iphone 13 have a 120hz display? know this before you buy
Does The iPhone 13 Have A 120Hz Display? Know This Before You Buy
April 21, 2023 - The 120Hz refresh rate is turned on for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max by default, but in case the screen seems to be scrolling sluggishly, it's worth checking Settings. To enable the refresh rate on the iPhone 13 Pro models, go to ...
Discussions

Got the new 13 Pro Max, barely see the effect of the 120 Hz Promotion Refresh Rate | MacRumors Forums
My iPhone 13 pro max screen is definitely brighter than my 12 pro max side by side, are you sure yours isn’t faulty? ... I notice it a lot. But I’m super susceptible to frame rate. I can see a dip from 60-50 for example quite noticeably. I also notice stutters many others don’t. To me this is a huge upgrade and a huge deal. I love the 120hz refresh ... More on forums.macrumors.com
🌐 forums.macrumors.com
September 24, 2021
What is the refresh rate of the iPhone 13 Pro display?
The iPhone 13 Pro, 14 Pro, 15 Pro, and Pro Max versions, and the iPad Pro ProMotion displays are capable of dynamically switching between: ... This dynamic switching means your app can present smooth, seamless animations and take advantage of power-saving opportunities. Your app may already be capable of taking advantage of these new refresh rates ... More on discussions.apple.com
🌐 discussions.apple.com
March 28, 2025
Does the iPhone 13 have a 120 Hz display?
The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max have Pro Motion displays with a variable refresh rate up to 120 Hz for smoother motion when playing games and scrolling through apps. More on swappa.com
🌐 swappa.com
1
August 18, 2021
ProMotion display of iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max isn’t true 120Hz all the time (even when motion is there)
This isn't news at all. ProMotion is variable refresh rate. On the 13 Pro, thats 10Hz up to 120Hz (on the 14 Pro its 1Hz to 120Hz). When you scroll on Pro Motion, it changes refresh rate on the fly. And it also does an incredibly poor job of it. While Screen Recording, the display is fixed to 120Hz because video files need a constant frame rate to be playable. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/iphone
80
61
February 3, 2023
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Wccftech
wccftech.com › home › software › how to disable and enable 120hz refresh rate on iphone 13 pro models
How to Disable and Enable 120Hz Refresh Rate on iPhone 13 Pro Models
September 24, 2021 - Apple's new iPhone 13 Pro models come with new 120Hz ProMotion displays, this is how you can disable or enable it from Settings.
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DXOMARK
dxomark.com › apple-iphone-13-pro-max-display-test-retested
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Display test - DXOMARK
September 20, 2022 - Touch on the iPhone 13 Pro Max ... than the iPhone 12 Pro Max in those cases, thus showing the benefits of its adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate......
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Quora
quora.com › Why-does-the-iPhone-13-Pros-120Hz-pro-motion-not-seem-as-smooth-like-the-Samsung-S21-Ultras-120-refresh-rate
Why does the iPhone 13 Pro's 120Hz (pro-motion) not seem as smooth like the Samsung S21 Ultra's 120 refresh rate? - Quora
Answer (1 of 5): Firstly, please, please ignore every iSheep that is rambling about iOS 60Hz > Android 120Hz. That’s what the iSheep do - Ignore the realities, and ramble about delusional math they make up in their head, like Arnold Luzon ...
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The Verge
theverge.com › tech › news › apple
iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max announced with high refresh rate 120Hz displays | The Verge
Apple has officially announced the high-end half of the iPhone 13 lineup: the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. They’ve got a faster A15 Bionic chip, three all-new cameras, and an improved display with up to a 120Hz ProMotion high refresh rate that ...
Published   September 14, 2021
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AppleInsider
appleinsider.com › articles › 21 › 10 › 04 › apples-120hz-promotion-display-in-the-iphone-13-pro-what-you-need-to-know
Apple's 120Hz ProMotion display in the iPhone 13 Pro: what you need to know | AppleInsider
October 4, 2021 - Apple's introduction of ProMotion in its iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, but what is it and how is it useful? It turns out, it does a lot more than make the interface smoother.
Find elsewhere
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MacRumors
forums.macrumors.com › iphone, ipad, and ipod touch › iphone › iphone
Got the new 13 Pro Max, barely see the effect of the 120 Hz Promotion Refresh Rate | MacRumors Forums
September 24, 2021 - But I’m super susceptible to frame rate. I can see a dip from 60-50 for example quite noticeably. I also notice stutters many others don’t. To me this is a huge upgrade and a huge deal. I love the 120hz refresh rate.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › IPhone_13_Pro
iPhone 13 Pro - Wikipedia
1 week ago - The successor to the iPhone 12 ... upper edge from the True-Depth sensor housing and utilizing the display refresh rate up to 120 Hz for smoother motion found....
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Quora
quora.com › Does-the-iPhone-13-Pro-Max-run-at-90-FPS
Does the iPhone 13 Pro Max run at 90 FPS? - Quora
It can also go higher and lower. Apple’s ProMotion display in the iPhone 13 pro series has adaptive refresh rates that can scale as low as 10fps and as high as 120fps, depending on the needs. When content is not moving, dr...
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Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 256025102
What is the refresh rate of the iPhone 13 Pro display?
March 28, 2025 - Some framework animation features handle frame pacing automatically for you, including Optimizing ProMotion refresh rates for iPhone 13 Pro and iPad Pro | Apple Developer Documentation · Benefits of the iPhone 13, 14, and 15 Pro and Max versions's adaptive refresh rate:
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Discord
support.discord.com › hc › en-us › community › posts › 4410882969623-Support-for-iPhone-13-Pro-Pro-Max-120Hz-Refresh-Rate
Support for iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max 120Hz Refresh Rate – Discord
October 16, 2021 - I and many others would really like to see this issue fixed as soon as possible, because the 120Hz display on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max is one of the top selling points of the devices.
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Swappa
swappa.com › forums › thread › FVLA7679 › does-iphone-13-have-120-hz-display
Does iPhone 13 have 120 Hz display? - Forum Thread - Swappa
August 18, 2021 - The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max have Pro Motion displays with a variable refresh rate up to 120 Hz for smoother motion when playing games and scrolling through apps.
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Neowin
neowin.net › news › iphone 13 pro and iphone 13 pro max bring 120hz high refresh rate displays and more
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max bring 120Hz high refresh rate displays and more - Neowin
September 14, 2021 - Just like Samsung's flagships, the refresh rate is adaptive, meaning it can range from 10Hz to 120Hz, depending on the content and the interactions on the screen, which saves battery.
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GSMArena
gsmarena.com › apple_iphone_13_pro_max-11089.php
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max - Full phone specifications
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max smartphone. Announced Sep 2021. Features 6.7″ display, Apple A15 Bionic chipset, 4352 mAh battery, 1024 GB storage, 6 GB RAM, Ceramic Shield glass.
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Amazon
amazon.com › Apple-13-Pro-Max-Graphite › dp › B09LPF7KC7
Amazon.com: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, 256GB, Graphite - Unlocked (Renewed) : Cell Phones & Accessories
Buy Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, 256GB, Graphite - Unlocked (Renewed): Cell Phones - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
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Apple Developer
developer.apple.com › documentation › quartzcore › optimizing-promotion-refresh-rates-for-iphone-13-pro-and-ipad-pro
Optimizing iPhone and iPad apps to support ProMotion ...
Improve your app’s visual appearance and save power by requesting preferred refresh rates and synchronizing your animations with the system.
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PhoneArena
phonearena.com › home › news
How to enable / disable 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate on iPhone 13 Pro / Max - PhoneArena
September 22, 2021 - Apple has added 120Hz fast refresh rate (aka ProMotion) to its iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, and this feature results in much smoother scrolling, plus it adds one more feature that differentiates the Pros from the cheaper iPhones.