Understanding Smartphone Refresh Rates: From 60 Hz to 144 Hz

Complete Smartphone Refresh Rate Guide: 60 Hz vs 90 Hz vs 120 Hz vs 144 Hz for Gaming, Scrolling, and Battery Life

By Sujan Chowdhury

Smartphone refresh rate—measured in hertz (Hz)—dictates how many times per second the screen updates its content. While 60 Hz was the norm for years, modern devices now offer 90 Hz, 120 Hz, and even 144 Hz panels. In this guide, we’ll explain in practical terms how higher refresh rates impact gaming performance, smooth scrolling, and overall battery life on your mobile device.

Close-up of a smartphone Honor 9 displaying 120 Hz motion

1. What Exactly Is Refresh Rate?

Put simply, the refresh rate measures how many times per second your screen redraws its image. A 60 Hz display refreshes 60 times per second; a 120 Hz screen does so 120 times. The result is noticeably smoother animations and faster visual feedback, especially in high‑frame‑rate games.

Official specifications from leading manufacturers—such as Samsung specs—define industry‑standards, but here’s what you need to know:

  • 60 Hz: Traditional baseline; adequate for most tasks but less fluid in fast‑paced games.
  • 90 Hz: Noticeably smoother than 60 Hz; found on many midrange phones since 2021.
  • 120 Hz: Became mainstream in 2023–2025; ideal for gaming, fluid UI animations, and smoother video playback.
  • 144 Hz and Beyond: Typically reserved for gaming‑focused models (e.g., ASUS ROG Phone 7), offering marginal but competitive advantages for mobile esports.

2. How Higher Refresh Rates Improve Your Experience

Here are three real‑world benefits when you upgrade from 60 Hz to 90 Hz, 120 Hz, or 144 Hz:

  1. Smoother Scrolling & Fluid UI Animations: Whether you’re browsing social media or reading articles, a 120 Hz or 144 Hz display makes swipes and page transitions feel instantaneous. According to TFT findings, eliminating sample-and-hold.With LightBoost, 120fps @ 120Hz has 85% to 92% less motion blur than 60Hz..
  2. Better Gaming Responsiveness & Reduced Input Lag: In competitive titles like Call of Duty Mobile or PUBG Mobile, higher refresh rates translate to faster frame delivery and lower latency. Meizu indicates that Higher refresh rates translate to improved reaction times and a more immersive gaming experience. This translates to better performance in competitive games where seconds matter when moving your characters or executing specific actions.
  3. Enhanced Touch Sampling & Precision: Many 120 Hz and 144 Hz displays also increase touch‑sampling rates (often at 240 Hz or higher). That “touch‑sampling” boost means the phone registers your taps and swipes almost instantly, crucial for competitive mobile esports where milliseconds matter.

3. Pros & Cons of 60 Hz, 90 Hz, 120 Hz & 144 Hz Displays

Aspect Advantages Trade‑offs
60 Hz Baseline for battery life; adequate for basic browsing, video streaming. Less smooth animations and slower response in gaming; noticeable stutter compared to higher rates.
90 Hz Noticeably smoother than 60 Hz; moderate battery impact; ideal for midrange devices. Limited model availability; not all apps take full advantage.
120 Hz Industry standard for flagships; superior smoothness for gaming and UI; balanced battery hit with adaptive modes. Consumes 10–15 % more battery vs. 60 Hz when active; requires GPU horsepower for sustained high frame rates.
144 Hz Top choice for mobile esports; minimal motion blur for competitive gamers; peak fluidity. Highest battery consumption (+15–20 % vs. 60 Hz); very limited to select gaming‑focused Android models.

4. Which Phones Offer 90 Hz, 120 Hz & 144 Hz Displays?

Here’s a snapshot of representative models (as of May 2025). For full lists, verify specs on trusted sites like GSMArena’s database or official manufacturer pages.

  • 90 Hz Examples: Google Pixel 9a, OnePlus Nord CE 3 (midrange 2024).
  • 120 Hz Examples: Samsung Galaxy S24/S24+ (flagship 2025), iQOO 11 (high‑end early 2025), Pixel 9 Pro.
  • 144 Hz Examples: ASUS ROG Phone 7, Lenovo Legion Phone 5 Pro (gaming‑focused models from late 2024–2025).

Tip: Look for terms like “Adaptive 120 Hz” or “Display: 144 Hz AMOLED” on a phone’s official spec page to confirm its display capabilities before buying.

5. SDR vs. HDR & Refresh Rate Synergy

Many 120 Hz and 144 Hz phones also support both SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) and HDR (High Dynamic Range) content:

  • SDR @ 120 Hz: Common for most games and apps—mobile UIs rarely leverage HDR at high refresh rates.
  • HDR @ 60 Hz & 120 Hz: Flagship panels (e.g., Samsung Dynamic AMOLED 2X) handle HDR at 120 Hz, delivering richer colors without sacrificing smoothness.

For example, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s official spec page confirms “Adaptive 120 Hz, HDR10+ support,” meaning HDR videos remain vivid while maintaining smooth motion.

6. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is higher always better for refresh rate?

Not necessarily. If you mostly watch videos or read static content, you may prefer 60 Hz for extended battery life. Many flagship phones use adaptive refresh rate to switch between 60 Hz, 90 Hz, and 120 Hz based on on‑screen activity.

Q: How can I verify my phone’s refresh rate?

On Android, go to Settings → Display → Advanced → Smooth Display (or similar). On iOS (iPhone 13 Pro/14 Pro/15 Pro), check “ProMotion” settings under Settings → Display & Brightness.

7. Internal & External Resources

  • What Is UFS 3.1? – Discover how fast storage complements high refresh rates.
  • What Is LPDDR5X? – Learn about the latest in mobile memory technology.
  • DisplayMate – Industry leader in display benchmarking and analysis.
  • GSMArena – Comprehensive smartphone specification database.

8. Conclusion & Key Takeaways

  • Moving from 60 Hz to 120 Hz delivers a noticeably smoother UI and improved gaming performance; 144 Hz is mostly for competitive mobile esports.
  • Look for “Adaptive Refresh Rate” on spec sheets to balance performance and battery life effectively.
  • Always verify refresh specs on official manufacturer pages like Samsung, Qualcomm, or JEDEC.

9. Stay Connected

If this guide helped clarify refresh rates and how they affect your phone’s performance, subscribe to receive our weekly spec demystifiers. To suggest a new topic or provide feedback, head over to our Contact page!

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