120Hz displays
In early 2021, there was excitement over a newly unearthed Apple patent for mobile device displays with refresh rates of 120Hz, 180Hz or even 240Hz. The patent fits with multiple rumours that the iPhone 13 will have a 120Hz display. But what does that actually mean?
What refresh rates mean
Whenever you look at something on an electronic screen, you’re actually watching a succession of still images. Those images work just like the celluloid frames of pre-digital cinema: they flash by so quickly that your brain doesn’t see the individual images; it sees objects in motion instead. The faster the frames flash by or the images are updated digitally, the smoother the movement.
