Next year's iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus will adopt OLED displays with low-power backplane technology, bringing ProMotion to Apple's standard iPhone models for the first time.
The current iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus use low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels, while Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models use more advanced low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels. LTPO panels support ProMotion, allowing the display to ramp up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and video content when required.
ProMotion also allows the display to ramp down to a more power-efficient refresh rate as low as 1Hz, which is why the iPhone 15 Pro screens feature an always-on capability that shows the Lock Screen's clock, widgets, notifications, and wallpaper even when the device is locked.
Apple is expected to retain the use of the less advanced LTPS panels in this year's iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to maintain differentiation between its standard and Pro models, meaning Apple's 2025 iPhone series will be the first to feature ProMotion and always-on displays across the lineup.
According to The Elec, Chinese supplier BOE is hoping to supply Apple with LTPO panels for the iPhone 17 series, but questions still remain about whether it can reach the required production capacity while maintaining Apple's quality control standards.
If BOE cannot meet the requirements, Apple will likely turn to other suppliers like Samsung and LG Display for the LTPO panels, and rely on BOE for LTPS-based OLED panels for its legacy iPhone models and the rumored iPhone SE 4.
According to display analyst Ross Young, this year's iPhone 16 Pro models will feature a taller aspect ratio of 19.6:9, a change that will trickle down to the standard iPhone 17 models the following year. The devices are expected to increase from 6.12- and 6.69-inches to 6.27- and 6.86-inches, respectively. This represents a display size increase of 2.5% on both devices.
All in all, this means that the standard iPhone 17 models look set to receive a substantial panel upgrade, with larger sizes as well as LTPO for ProMotion and always-on displays.
