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60Hz vs 90Hz vs 120Hz: Which Smartphone Refresh Rate Should You Choose?

2/1/2026 · Displays · 7 min

60Hz vs 90Hz vs 120Hz: Which Smartphone Refresh Rate Should You Choose?

TL;DR

  • 60 Hz saves the most battery and is fine for basic use, older phones, and long battery life.
  • 90 Hz is a sensible middle ground with noticeable smoothness gains and modest battery cost.
  • 120 Hz feels the smoothest for scrolling and gaming, but costs more power unless paired with adaptive tech.
  • If you game competitively on mobile: prefer 120 Hz with low touch latency and a phone with good thermal performance.
  • If you want all-day battery: 60 Hz or a phone with LTPO adaptive refresh that scales down to save power.

What is refresh rate?

  • Refresh rate is how many times per second the screen updates, measured in Hertz. Common smartphone values are 60, 90, and 120 Hz.
  • Higher numbers mean smoother motion and lower motion-to-photon lag for UI interactions and games.
  • Refresh rate is not the same as frame rate, but a higher refresh rate allows higher frame rates to be displayed when the GPU and app support them.

Perceived smoothness and everyday use

  • Moving from 60 to 90 Hz gives a clear smoothness boost for scrolling and animations.
  • Moving from 90 to 120 Hz is still noticeable, especially with fast swipes and gaming, but the jump is smaller than 60 to 90 Hz.
  • For static content like reading long text or viewing photos, higher refresh rates matter less.
  • UI polish matters: a well optimized 90 Hz implementation can feel better than a poorly implemented 120 Hz mode.

Gaming and touch latency

  • Competitive and high frame rate mobile titles benefit most from 120 Hz because they can run at 90 to 120 frames per second on capable hardware.
  • Look beyond refresh number: touch sampling rate, input latency, and GPU performance matter as much as refresh rate.
  • Thermal throttling can reduce sustained frame rates, negating the advantage of a high refresh panel.

Power and battery tradeoffs

  • Higher refresh rates draw more power because the panel updates more often. Expect several percent to double-digit percentage impacts on battery for 120 Hz vs 60 Hz depending on usage pattern.
  • Adaptive refresh solutions that drop to 1 Hz for static content can offer the best of both: smoothness when needed and battery savings otherwise.
  • If battery life is critical and your phone lacks adaptive refresh, prefer 60 Hz. If your device has LTPO or another adaptive solution, 120 Hz becomes much more attractive.

Panel tech and implementations

  • OLED/AMOLED panels dominate modern phones; they support variable refresh more easily than older LCDs.
  • LTPO (low temperature polycrystalline oxide) enables on-the-fly refresh rate scaling to save battery.
  • Not all 120 Hz modes are equal: some phones use 120 Hz only for gaming and stick to 60 or 90 Hz in the UI to save power.

Content compatibility and real world limits

  • Video is often 24, 30, or 60 fps. Higher refresh rates will not make low frame rate video look like native high frame rate footage, though motion interpolation or frame pacing can help.
  • Apps must be optimized to benefit from higher refresh rates. Many social apps and third party video players cap at 60 fps.

Motion clarity, PWM, and brightness

  • Higher refresh rates can reduce motion blur but do not fix sample-and-hold blur inherent to most displays. Fast response pixels and proper refresh driving help.
  • PWM dimming and high refresh interact: very high refresh settings with PWM can affect perceived flicker for sensitive users. Check reviews for dimming behavior.

Which should you buy?

  • Choose 60 Hz if: you need maximum battery life, you use older phones, or you prefer a lower price. Good for heavy video watchers or long commutes.
  • Choose 90 Hz if: you want a noticeable smoothness boost without a major battery hit and you are on a midrange budget.
  • Choose 120 Hz if: you play fast games, want the smoothest UI interactions, and have a phone with adaptive refresh or strong battery and thermal performance.
  • If possible, buy a phone with adaptive refresh (LTPO/VRR) so the display can scale between high and low refresh to balance smoothness and battery.

Buying checklist

  • Panel type: OLED/AMOLED for better contrast and easier adaptive refresh.
  • Adaptive refresh: LTPO or vendor VRR is ideal for battery savings.
  • Touch sampling: higher is better for gaming. Look for explicit numbers in reviews.
  • Sustained performance: pick phones with good thermal design to avoid throttling in long gaming sessions.
  • Battery capacity: larger battery offsets higher refresh power draw.
  • Brightness and dimming: check for PWM and peak brightness at high refresh.
  • Software support: ensure the OS and apps actually use the high refresh rates you pay for.

Bottom line

Higher refresh rates deliver a clear, tangible improvement to feel and responsiveness. For most users, 90 Hz is the best compromise between smoothness and battery. If you game on mobile or prioritize silky animations and your phone has adaptive refresh, 120 Hz is worth it. If battery endurance is your top priority, stick with 60 Hz or choose a phone with intelligent refresh rate scaling.

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