However, as shown by a patent that has just been accepted by the U.S. Patent Department, Apple may already be working to resolve this limitation. The documentation, registered in March last year, details a display that can adapt its update rate according to the content on display, and can expand it two, three, or even four times.
In this case, considering a panel with a native refresh rate of 60Hz, the device in question could enter a high refresh rate of 120Hz, 180Hz, or even 240Hz. The technology is not exactly new, but it should combine what has been seen on other devices in the past.
The ability to double the display refresh rate is used on the iPad Pro, but the tablet is limited to just 120Hz. In addition, LTPO panels are already able to vary their refresh rates, being crucial in preserving the battery of devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Galaxy S21 Ultra.
It is not yet known whether this new panel will arrive with the iPhone 12s this year, which should at least be the first in the line to use an LTPO screen. Still, the patent indicates a high probability of seeing a future iPhone, and even other Apple devices, employing a panel that reaches 240Hz.
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As the website Patently Apple, which discovered the patent, says, the new technology is aimed at iPhones but can be expanded to iPads, Apple Watch, televisions, as well as the alleged Apple Glass and Apple Car.