If this iPhone 17 Air rumor is true, Apple is making a huge mistake

Summary

The iPhone 17 Air may have a 120Hz display, but lack ProMotion support.
ProMotion dynamically adjusts the phone’s refresh rate to save battery.
Lack of ProMotion on the iPhone 17 Air could be a battery life concern and would be a silly decision for Apple to make.

For the past few months, the rumor mill has been in full swing regarding the iPhone 17 Air, the supposed ultra-thin iPhone that Apple is expected to release later this year alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup.

It’s rumored to be the thinnest iPhone ever, with various leaks suggesting it could measure anywhere between 5mm and 6mm thick. That would make it the thinnest iPhone since the iPhone 6, which was relatively thin for its time but notoriously known for bending. I’ll admit that the prospect of Apple finally changing the iPhone’s design after five years of stagnation excites me the most about the iPhone 17 Air. However, after reading this latest rumor, I’m afraid Apple might be at risk of ruining the phone.

According to Fixed Focus Digital, a well-known leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will have just a “a normal 120hz screen, but not ProMotion adaptive refresh rate” (via 9to5Mac).

When I read this, I was taken aback immediately. If this leak turns out to be true, and the iPhone 17 Air has a 120Hz display without ProMotion, it would easily be one of the dumbest things Apple has ever done.

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It dynamically adjusts the display’s refresh rate to save battery

If you’re unfamiliar with ProMotion, it’s an adaptive refresh rate technology that dynamically adjusts the display’s refresh rate based on your activities. When you’re playing a game or scrolling, ProMotion increases the refresh rate to 120Hz, giving the image a smooth, fluid appearance. However, if a higher refresh rate isn’t necessary, it can reduce it to help conserve battery life.

ProMotion can lower the refresh rate to as little as 1Hz…

For instance, if you’re viewing a static image on your iPhone, ProMotion can lower the refresh rate to as little as 1Hz, since there’s no motion on the screen to warrant boosting the refresh rate to 120Hz, thus saving battery. Additionally, ProMotion allows the Pro model iPhones to support Always On Display (AOD), as that mode depends on an adaptive refresh rate to operate without significantly draining battery life.

ProMotion first appeared on the second-generation iPad Pro in 2017. It wasn’t until 2021 that it made its way to the iPhone, starting with the iPhone 13 Pro. This technology has been included in every Pro model since then.

…based on this most recent leak stating that the iPhone 17 Air won’t include ProMotion, it seems Apple could be cutting corners.

Last year, when the iPhone 16 was released, I was surprised that Apple had not yet added ProMotion to the standard iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus. So, when I read the rumor that ProMotion would be included in all iPhone 17 models, I felt optimistic that Apple was finally going through with it. However, based on this most recent leak stating that the iPhone 17 Air won’t include ProMotion, it seems Apple could be cutting corners.

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Battery life will be a major concern for the iPhone 17 Air

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Don’t get me wrong; it’s great that the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air may have 120Hz refresh rate displays. This is a significant improvement over 60Hz, and it will make using them so much better. However, without ProMotion technology bundled with that 120Hz display, it seems like a half-baked effort.

If the iPhone 17 Air doesn’t have a ProMotion display, it theoretically means that the phone won’t be able to dynamically adjust the refresh rate. As I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest advantages ProMotion offers is the ability to scale down the refresh rate to save battery. And on slim smartphones, which don’t have large batteries due to size constraints, that’s quite important.

I believe that if Apple decides not to include ProMotion on the iPhone 17 Air, it might be one of the stupidest things it’s ever done.

While it’s unclear exactly how large the battery in the iPhone 17 Air will be, it likely won’t be as big as the one found in the iPhone 17 Pro or the iPhone 17, naturally due to the slim design of the phone. This is why I believe that if Apple decides not to include ProMotion on the iPhone 17 Air, it might be one of the stupidest things it’s ever done.

The iPhone 17 Air is going to be a cutting-edge phone; there is no doubt about it. While its unique slim design is sure to attract a lot of attention, one of the biggest concerns people will have is battery life. The S25 Edge proves this will be an issue. Removing a battery life feature like ProMotion doesn’t help alleviate any of those concerns and is just plain bizarre.

Personally, I hope this leak turns out to be false because I would love to see ProMotion on the iPhone 17 Air.

Of course, I want to be very clear that all my concerns are based on Fixed Focus Digital’s leak. While they’ve been correct in the past about some things, such as confirming the name of the iPhone 16e, they have been incorrect about others, including the number of color options available for the iPhone 16. So it’s possible this leak may not be true.

Personally, I hope this leak turns out to be false because I would love to see ProMotion on the iPhone 17 Air. But then also, knowing Apple, which likes to do foolish things, I can easily see them removing it to save money, and to create a clear distinction between the iPhone 17 Air and the Pro models.

Please, Apple, I beg you, put ProMotion on the iPhone 17 Air.