Apple iPhone 12s Pro, Huawei Mate 50 Pro, and Xiaomi Mi 12 appear on shortlist of smartphones expected to feature LTPO displays this year
LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) displays are going to be one of the big features of premium smartphones in 2021 thanks to their battery-saving properties. Smartphones that sport an LTPO OLED or LCD panel, such as the incredible Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with its 6.8-inch display, can rely on dynamic refresh rates that change depending on the content on the screen. This means flagship phones will be able to produce high refresh rates when required (gaming, etc.) but then save on battery life by drastically reducing the rate for activities such as reading articles.
Therefore, it seems LTPO technology is going to be one of the features to look out for in 2021 for discerning users who are considering a high-end smartphone purchase. Display analyst Ross Young has provided an intriguing shortlist of flagship devices that have or might turn up with an LTPO display this year. The following phones were listed:
- Apple iPhone 12s Pro
- Apple iPhone 12s Pro Max
- Huawei Mate 50 Pro
- Oppo Find X3/Pro
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
- Xiaomi Mi 12
Although it’s not completely surprising to find such names on this list, there are a couple of further revelations to take away from here apart from the expected presence of LTPO panels. Once again there is the rumor that Apple will go with "iPhone 12s" for the naming scheme of its 2021 smartphones rather than "iPhone 13", although that could change. It’s likely it will be just the Pro variants of this year's iPhones that get to enjoy dynamic refresh rates of 10 Hz-120 Hz while the regular models are fitted with 60 Hz displays.
It also seems like there is room for a Xiaomi Mi 12 on the list as opposed to future Mi 11 variants coming with LTPO screens, and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 are included but there is no mention of a Galaxy Note 21. This adds more weight to the reports that the Galaxy Note series is to be superseded by the growing Galaxy Z range.
