Refresh rate: an important display specification that's often overlooked

When comparing iPhone replacement displays, most repair professionals look at price, warranty, brightness or OLED technology. But there is another specification that has a major impact on the user experience: the refresh rate (Hz).

Many suppliers don't mention the refresh rate of their compatible displays. As a result, two displays that look identical on paper can perform very differently in daily use.

What is the refresh rate of a smartphone display?

The refresh rate indicates how many times per second a display updates the image.

• 60 Hz = 60 updates per second
• 90 Hz = 90 updates per second
• 120 Hz = 120 updates per second

The higher the refresh rate, the smoother scrolling, animations and touch response feel.

On devices such as the iPhone 13 Pro, 14 Pro, 15 Pro, 16 Pro and newer Pro models, users are accustomed to Apple's ProMotion technology with refresh rates up to 120 Hz. Installing a display with a lower refresh rate means the difference is immediately noticeable.

Why is this important?

Many compatible displays are technically compatible with an iPhone, but don't match the original refresh rate.

That means:

• Scrolling may feel less smooth.
• Animations can appear less fluid.
• Fast movements during gaming become less responsive.
• Customers who are used to the original display often notice the difference immediately.

For repair businesses, this is important because customer satisfaction depends on the complete user experience—not just on whether the display works.

Not every display quality offers the same refresh rate

The refresh rate depends on both the display quality and the iPhone model.

Our sourcing team carefully selects the highest refresh rates available for each display technology.

For example:

• Compatible Soft OLED supports 120 Hz on most Pro models.
• In-Cell reaches 90 Hz on many Pro models.
• Compatible Hard OLED typically operates at 60 Hz.
• Compatible Budget focuses on affordability and generally offers 60 Hz.

For newer models such as the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, our Compatible Soft displays already support the full 120 Hz refresh rate.

Mobileparts.shop offers the following refresh rate per model per quality:

Why compare refresh rates?

Two suppliers may both offer a "Soft OLED" or "In-Cell" display, while the actual refresh rate differs significantly.

Without knowing this specification, it is almost impossible to compare display quality fairly.

That's why we believe refresh rate should be just as transparent as brightness, warranty or display technology.

We believe in transparency

At Mobileparts.shop we continuously evaluate our display sourcing. Besides colour reproduction, brightness, touch response and reliability, we also monitor the maximum supported refresh rate.

This allows repair professionals to make an informed choice based on the balance between performance, quality and price.

Because in the end, the best display isn't always the cheapest one—it's the one that delivers the experience your customer expects.