The iPhone 17 is one of the most highly anticipated smartphones of 2025. Despite rumours of a slim new model being introduced are in the air (pun intended), there’s a larger interest in the vanilla model. Even though the Pro models always bring the brand new features annually, it is the regular model that satisfies the demands of most people. Hence, when it comes to leak that specifically talks about the display on the next-gen vanilla iPhone, it is bound to get attention.
Based on a tip from research analyst Ross Young, the iPhone 17’s display is set to get a bunch of upgrades that might finally put it on par with its rivals from Samsung and OnePlus. While the design of the display is likely to retain the pill-shaped cutout for the FaceID tech, the OLED panel will gain Apple’s attention. From what we have read so far, the iPhone 17’s display will grow in size and refresh rate.
iPhone 17 to get a bigger display
One of the aspects to grow with the iPhone 17 is the display size. For years, the standard screen size on the plain iPhone has remained the same at 6.1-inches, starting with the iPhone XR. The compact dimensions have made the standard iPhone gain favour of all those seeking a compact iPhone – a trend that’s been lately copied by several manufacturers from the Android universe. Watch out OnePlus 13s.
However, Apple has now decided to upgrade the screen size from 6.1-inches to 6.3-inches, thus making it as large as the iPhone 17 Pro’s rumoured display size. The jump in screen size is likely to make the standard iPhone bigger and it may play with the app aspect ratios.
As for the rest of the lineup, the rumoured iPhone 17 Air (which replaces the iPhone 16 Plus) will feature a 6.5-inch display and the top-of-the-line iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to get a 6.9-inch display.
High refresh rate for a smoother experience
Other than getting a bigger display, the iPhone 17 is also rumoured to get a 120Hz refresh rate OLED panel as opposed to the 60Hz refresh rate of the iPhone 16. A higher refresh rate will make the iPhone 17’s scrolling and animations seem smoother, just like the iPhone 16 Pro’s 120Hz ProMotion display.
However, keep in consideration Apple’s desperate measures to justify the iPhone 17 Pro’s higher price, which could affect the quality of the panel itself. Based on the standard industry practice championed by rivals like Samsung and OnePlus, the iPhone 17’s 120Hz display may lack the variable refresh rate technology from the iPhone 17 Pro, thus being less energy efficient.