The USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) has approved a patent for Apple which could make the iPhone 13's display the highest refresh rate in its history. To date, the iPhone has lagged behind in this regard. Today, the latest iPhones have a 60Hz refresh rate display, including the iPhone 12., which is a huge sales success (with the exception of 12 iPhone Mini).

Rivals like the Galaxy S21, for example, already have screens with twice this refresh rate. Xiaomi even plans to include 120Hz screens on one of its budget cell phone lines, for example. To this day, only the screen of the iPad Pro latest has 120Hz among the devices of Apple. But this new patent could make the iPhone the next benchmark for screen refresh rates.

How does this new technology work?

As we said yesterday, this patent registered in the United States is related to variable refresh rate screens, and it is not nothing new in the world of Android smartphones. A screen with a variable refresh rate does not have a fixed value during use. A smartphone with this type of screen, for example, may have a minimum value, which is used in everyday tasks.

When calling cell phone games or streaming apps like Netflix ou Disney +, for example, this refresh rate can be multiplied by two, three or even four times, depending on the need. This means that the iPhone 13 can have 60Hz normally, but when performing this type of task, the refresh rate can reach up to 240Hz, something only seen in gaming monitors.

It is also important to mention that the technology will not only be used for the upcoming iPhone 13. As it is related to screens and not to a specific cell phone, there is nothing stopping it from being applied to other devices from the company, such as the one already mentioned. iPad Pro or the Apple Watch, Among others.

Why is it important for the iPhone 13 to have a high refresh rate?

Not just a way to update and adapt to what rivals already do, Apple seems to have looked more favorably on games in recent years. Proof of this is the Apple Arcade, a premium gaming subscription service similar to Xbox's Game Pass. Remembering that the rival also has its own service, Google Play Pass.

Having the iPhone 13 with a better refresh rate means making this niche of users look more fondly on the Apple, especially the most competitive ones. After all, the refresh rate is nothing more than the rate at which the screen updates information.

The bigger it is, the faster and more fluid games will feel. The fact that the Apple registering a patent related to this technology could be a nod to this audience in its next generation. Alternatively, nothing prevents it from applying this technology only to its tablets, as is the case with the iPad Pro.

Through which channels you reach those people, classic and out of the box. Patently Apple.

Image: Denis Cherkashin / Unsplash