Refresh rate in Smartphones Explained: Is it a Gimmick?

One interesting trend in the smartphone world today is certainly the Refresh rate. Although used in gaming phones released in the past, the Oneplus 7 Pro is said to have ignited the frenzy with its fascinating 90 hertz display. Since then more smartphones released in the market now employ the 90 hertz refresh rate, or even use a higher 120 hertz refresh rate over the traditional 60 hertz. So to start this article, what's a refresh rate?

1.0: What is a Refresh rate?:

 The term refresh rate is simply the number of times a screen will refresh an image in a second. It's unit is Hertz, which is the SI unit of frequency, equal to one cycle per second. This means that a screen with 60 Hertz will refresh an image 60 times in a second, while a 144 hertz screen will refresh an image 144 times in a second. So its actually something that affect most screens, including computers and televisions. 60 hertz is basically an industry standard, but most companies adopt even higher numbers. Higher refresh rates are actually valuable because they provide a sense of smoothness and speed when using your smartphone. When you touch your screen, you'll either click or you'll scroll through apps or images. That brings us to two types of refresh rate: Touch-refresh rate and Display refresh rate. Lets explore that.

1.1: Touch refresh rate:

 This is simply the rate at which at which your display can register your touch and respond by starting to render the next frame in an animation.

1.2: Display refresh rate:

 This is actually the most important of the two. Watching a video on YouTube at 60 FPS with a 60 Hertz screen basically means the display will coincide with all frames and will be able to push all the frames accurately.

2.0: Is Hertz the same with FPS? (Frames per second):

Not really. FPS is just the number of consecutive full-screen images that are displayed each second. While hertz is the rate at which visual information is updated or refreshed in a second. If you're watching a 90 FPS video on a 90 hertz screen, it simply means your display will be able to view all 90 frames in a second. Additionally if you're using a 60 Hertz screen to watch a 30 FPS video, your display will switch to 30 Hertz or might just duplicate some frames. For this reason a 90 FPS video cannot be played on a 60 Hertz screen and so on.

3.0: Is it worth it to shell extra money for a higher refresh rate?:

 Certainly. The refresh rate is actually very subtle in delivering its functions. you might not notice the difference at once but when your eyes get used to the higher refresh rate it might be difficult to switch back to a lower one because it would seem slower. Reviewers who used the 90 hertz Oneplus 7T Pro as a daily driver found it difficult to return to even the Samsung galaxy note 10 plus because of the lower refresh rate. It's not a gimmick by any means. There are actually good uses of a higher refresh rate. They are:

4.0: Uses of a High Refresh rate:

 Here are some cool uses/benefits of buying a phone with a high refresh rate:

4.1: Daily usage is smoother and faster:

 It's not only a well optimized os and a fast chipset that contributes to the overall smoothness of a smartphone. Scrolling through webpages, app drawers or just bands of images become silky smooth with a good Hz. A higher refresh rate can also make your scrolling and day to day tasks better. Since most screens are using a 60 Hertz display, even the Samsung galaxy and the iPhone, it basically means 60 Images refreshed in a second. So imagine refreshing 120 images per second or Even better 240 Hertz. That's a great leap and good in the sense that it takes place in a second.

4.2: Better Animations:

 Animations in android are fun quick sequences that pops up when you want to take an action. With a higher refresh rate your favourite live wallpaper or your mechanical-like settings options can become much more enjoyable.

4.3: Excellent Video quality:

 Taking a cue from the animations, a good refresh rate can improve your viewing experience considerably. Watching a 90 FPS movie on a 90 Hertz screen will increase synchronization and more frames will be displayed.

4.4: Helps in your competitive Gaming:

 Yes, a higher refresh rate can actually give you an advantage in online games were precision and speed are invaluable. If you've aimed at a fellow in PUBG, and he killed you even when you shot at him first, there's a high chance he had a higher refresh rate than you, Because the information from the servers are first translated to the FPS/Hertz to being shown on the screen. Also in racing games and generally sports like football Etc. A high refresh rate is optimal if you want to beat the leaderboards.

4.5: It can reduce your eye Fatigue:

If you're one of those special people whose eyes get weary from viewing the images on their display scroll by, A higher refresh rate can help correct that anomaly. Most phones come with a slider to switch back to either 60, 90 or 120 Hertz depending on the calibration. Just test and find out which works for you. Its fun trust us!

5.0: Should I overclock my Refresh rate if given the opportunity?:

No. Yes, there are some third party developers that find hidden options in the smartphone, like dual speakers mod and force RGB notification lights. All useful but in this case (Hertz), you cant just slap a higher refresh on any display. The base hertz is actually the recommended refresh rate that the OEM put in the display to ensure longevity and better functionality. A display must support the refresh rate it wants to use and any overclocking might reduce the life span of the display in the long run. It can also void your warranty no matter how long its valid. Not to worry though, most apps and games are configured at 60 hertz and there's not much difference going from 60 to 90. Its almost like 720P vs 1080P.

6.0: Are there any disadvantages using a higher refresh rate?:

Well, there's a saying that  anything with an advantage also has a disadvantage. In this case, its a bigger drain on your battery and worse a strain on your hardware. Probably why Flagship or gaming phones currently field this feature. It can also ruin your experience watching old or badly filmed videos. Imagine watching a 24 FPS motion movie on a 120 Hertz screen with no switching option. That's no good is it?

7.0: What smartphones with this high refresh rates are readily available?:

 You might already know about the phone that invented this craze, the Oneplus 7 pro and its family members. There are other phones that followed suit though. The Realme X2 Pro(90Hz), Google pixel 4(90Hz), Oppo Reno Ace(90Hz), Nubia Red Magic 3(90Hz), Asus ROG Phone 2(120Hz), Razer Phone(120Hz) and the Ipad 2019(120Hz). Well, all these are kind of mid-range to flagship phones,(500$-2000$) Approximately 200.000 Naira, with the exception of the newly launched Redmi K30(120Hz), Which at the time of writing this is about 220$. (Approximately 90.000 naira).

The Ipad 2019 has a cool system wide 120 Hertz touch and display refresh rate.

8.0: Is refresh rate as important as other display Factors like Resolution, Display type (IPS and Amoled) or HDR?:

 Yes, its just as important. But that's kind of subjective. Some would prefer an AMOLED screen to a 120 Hertz display phone, or a 2K display to a 90 Hertz display. It wasn't a big deal till months ago the Oneplus was released. You know, OEM's will always find a way to make a mountain out of a molehill.

So that about sums up the end of this article. what do you think of the refresh rate on phones? Do you see it wide spread in the future? Or do you see it as important? Will your next phone have it? Lets know what you feel about it in the comment section below.