60 vs 120 Hz: what changes, and is it worth upgrading?
Hertz — how often the screen refreshes
60 Hz allows up to 60 screen refreshes per second, while 120 Hz allows up to 120. The interval drops from about 16.7 to 8.3 milliseconds. With a sufficiently high frame rate, motion looks smoother. It does not mean the processor is twice as fast.
Where you can notice it
Scrolling websites and feeds, interface transitions and supported games can feel smoother. A still photo gains little from extra refreshes. A 24, 30 or 60 FPS video does not gain new frames simply because the display supports 120 Hz.
How ProMotion works
ProMotion arrived in the Pro Max range with iPhone 13 Pro Max, adapting between 10 and 120 Hz. On iPhone 14 Pro Max the lower limit can reach 1 Hz for Always-On. Refresh rate changes with content and user interactions; the screen does not need to stay at its maximum.
Why a game may still run at 60 FPS
Hertz describe the display; FPS describes the frames produced by a game. Reaching 120 FPS requires game support, suitable settings and enough performance. Heat and power-saving settings can limit the result. On iOS, Low Power Mode limits ProMotion to a maximum of 60 Hz.
Battery life and choosing a phone
Higher refresh rates can use more energy, while adaptive refresh reduces the rate when appropriate. There is no universal battery-life penalty percentage. Moving from an 11 or 12 Pro Max to ProMotion is most noticeable in motion; switching between two 120 Hz models does not itself double smoothness.