Refresh Rates Explained
A refresh rate is one of the few display numbers you can feel without a test chart, and it is also one of the easiest to misread on a spec sheet. This page covers what the number means, what it costs, how adaptive rates change the trade, and what the 41 phones in our library list.
What does a refresh rate number mean?
A refresh rate is the number of times per second a display shows a new image. Wikipedia defines it exactly that way, in hertz. Each cycle takes a fixed slice of time, and a higher rate shortens it.
| Refresh rate | Time per refresh | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 60Hz | 16.6 ms | Android Authority |
| 90Hz | 11.1 ms | Android Authority |
| 120Hz | 8.3 ms | Android Authority |
| 165Hz | about 6.1 ms | Our arithmetic (1000 divided by 165), not a measured figure |
A shorter interval means a new image arrives sooner. Wikipedia’s article on display motion blur gives a way to picture the difference: on a 60Hz display, an object crossing a 1,920-pixel-wide screen in two seconds moves in 120 steps of 16 pixels each. The same trip at 120Hz would take 240 steps of 8 pixels (our arithmetic), which is why motion looks finer. Wikipedia names two causes of display motion blur: the eye tracking an object that stays still within each frame, and slow pixel response times. A higher refresh rate addresses the first. It does not fix the second, which depends on the panel (see LCD and OLED for response times).
How is refresh rate different from frame rate and touch rate?
Refresh rate is what the screen can show. Frame rate is what the phone’s processor and the app actually produce. Wikipedia says the two can be independent, and that the refresh rate sets the highest frame rate a display can show. A game that renders 60 frames a second on a 120Hz screen is still a 60-frame experience.
Android Authority adds that 120Hz screens divide evenly for common video rates: 24Hz, 30Hz and 60Hz content all fit with even frame divisions. Wikipedia makes the same point for a TV, saying a 120Hz screen showing 24 frames per second simply repeats each frame five times.
Touch sampling rate is a separate figure. Android Authority says it counts how many times per second the touchscreen looks for input. For example, our Edge (2026) page records that Motorola lists a touch sampling rate of up to 1,500Hz alongside a refresh rate up to 120Hz. The two numbers describe different things.
What does a higher refresh rate cost?
A higher refresh rate uses more power. The numbers below are from Android Authority, and each is one test of one older phone.
| Phone and change | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S20 Ultra, 60Hz to 120Hz | 9% drop in battery life | Android Authority |
| OnePlus 7 Pro, 90Hz versus 60Hz | 200 fewer minutes of browsing time | Android Authority |
Android Authority says newer phones with adaptive rates reduce the penalty. It also says higher rates make a noticeable difference in gaming and quicker response, and make scrolling look smoother and snappier. Whether that is worth the battery is a preference.
What is an adaptive refresh rate?
An adaptive refresh rate is a rate that changes as needed, so the screen can slow down when little is moving. Wikipedia calls this variable refresh rate and says it is used in power management by lowering a display’s rate during periods of little movement. Android Authority says newer handsets use adaptive 90Hz and 120Hz rates to cut display updates during static content while keeping scrolling smooth.
How low it goes depends on the panel. Android Authority says screens with LTPO can range from 120Hz down to 1Hz, but in practice shift between steps such as 120Hz, 60Hz, 24Hz and 10Hz. See LTPO OLED for the technology. Apple’s name for its version is ProMotion, which its iPhone 17 specifications list as adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz. In our library, 10 phone pages list a range that starts at 1Hz.
Does refresh rate affect screen flicker?
Not in the way it did on old monitors. Wikipedia says LCD pixels hold their state, so the refresh rate does not cause CRT-style flicker, and that the only part of an LCD that could flicker is its backlight, which typically runs at a minimum of about 200 Hz. Wikipedia ties the flicker that remains to pulse-width modulation dimming, in LCD backlights and in many OLEDs, which is covered in LCD and OLED.
What refresh rates do the phones in our library list?
Most list 120Hz, and seven list no rate at all. These are our counts from the 41 phone pages, showing the maximum rate the maker publishes.
| Listed maximum refresh rate | Phones in our library | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 165Hz | 2 | Razr+ (2026) and Razr Ultra (2026) |
| 120Hz | 30 | Includes the iPhone 17 and Galaxy S26 families |
| 90Hz | 2 | Galaxy A16 5G and A17 5G |
| No rate listed | 7 | iPhone 13, 14, 15, 16, 16 Plus, 16e and 17e |
The seven blanks are all iPhones. Apple lists no ProMotion or refresh rate for them on the pages we checked, so we leave the cell empty and do not guess 60Hz. The table shows the top rate, not the lowest, so it cannot tell you which phones scale down to 1Hz. Browse the phone library for each phone’s row.
What should I check on a spec sheet?
Look for the range, not just the top number. “Up to 120Hz” says what the screen can do at best. “1 to 120Hz” or “10 to 120Hz” says how far it can slow down to save power. Check whether the maker says adaptive or fixed, and read the OLED guide if you are also comparing panel types.
Related
Screens hub, OLED explained, LTPO OLED, LCD explained, phone library, Apple hub, Samsung hub.