With the advent of displays with high refresh rates, manufacturers have one more complaint for us to purchase devices that include these panels. The fluidity offered by a high refresh rate makes the user experience more satisfying. We went from 60 to 90 and 120Hz, but found phones with refresh rates up to 144Hz.
Currently I use a POCO with a 144 Hz screen and I was able to test this visual characteristic myself, on other occasions I have had 90 Hz screens from other manufacturers. The 144Hz makes the interface smooth as water and feels quick and snappy. However, we can’t assume that by increasing the refresh rate everything will work as well, because This is where the software comes in.. A significant element that can change the perception of these ultra-fast screens.
A bit of theory on high frequency displays
Before getting to the heart of the matter, it is worth knowing a few technical aspects of these screens. To begin with, we can say that the standard that prevailed until a few years ago in the mobile world is the 60Hz screens. As happened with computer screens or televisions, the screens of our mobiles have evolved as technology has advanced.
The refresh rate of a panel refers to the number of times per second that a screen is refreshed, or what amounts to the same: the times per second it turns on and off. Each time it shows a different image, it repeats this process, giving us the sense of movement that is created with videos. Despite this, we see it permanently lit, but it’s not like that.
now him material that equip current telephones, enough power to increase this refresh rate. It’s said to have the horsepower because to refresh a screen more than 60 times per second requires extra draw from the phone’s GPU and CPU.
Well, once we’ve briefly gone over this concept, let’s get to the classy of the question. Why don’t we have one system and applications ready to make the screen refresh faster?
A 144Hz software tour with lights and shadows
The cellphone he is fast in almost all tasks and it is true that the extra degree of fluidity is appreciated. As a personal opinion, it’s not a game changer like I think the touch sample rate is. That the screen responds faster and better to the touch of our fingers is decisive, because there have been many screens that I have used with poor quality touch screens.
However, any addition in terms of hardware must have its answer in the software. On this subject, it is true that the system responds correctly: do scroll on web pages, in the app drawer, or in the settings menu is a pleasant experience. But all that glitters isn’t gold, especially when you observe frame drop when switching between apps. This fact spoils the experience, as well as some applications that seem to not adapt well to high framerates, for example YouTube.
The most famous streaming video app seems to have some issues. When I swipe to see the latest videos from my subscriptions, performance is not the same than navigating the operating system menus. Here, the optimization of applications is important, which in this case also depends on the loading speed of the servers and our own connection.
Using the pre-installed apps themselves, such as the note-taking app, performance is good, the high screen hertz count is appreciated. others like Google Play Store suffers a lot: Scrolling through an application’s information causes considerable jumps on the screen. The mobile software itself comes into play but it is unacceptable that we have such a high refresh rate and see jerks. And in this case, the application itself is not to blame, since it is displayed at 144 Hz.
Even though YouTube is displaying at 144Hz, the interface “flips” when loading the video list. This POCO struggles to maintain a completely fluid interface.
To end this tour, it is worth mentioning that animations work fine, but it doesn’t always turn out that way. I repeat the same, observing smooth transitions and suddenly we slow down, spoils the moment, in fact, on some occasions I could notice that some system animations are skipped and an unpleasant flicker occurs in the interface. And more serious is the problem in other less powerful mobiles, where this is most appreciated.
This doesn’t mean that all Android phones have these issues, but that’s my experience on different models. Each manufacturer integrates its own improvements via software and the result may vary from one to another
With high refresh rate comes great responsibility
As the saying goes, equipping a phone with a 144Hz display comes with a big responsibility. The responsibility to have software that matches the hardware equipped. In this sense, I think there is still a long way to go. And if we talk about games, the thing does not change and that is that the list of games compatible with high refresh rates is not very long. Games are just one of the applications where the extra hertz would be used the most. But on that, it’s a matter of waiting for updates to support screens with these prices over time.
In my opinion, the most important is deliver a consistent experience across all corners of the system of our mobile, and at the moment it does not provide it to us, at least in its entirety. As we said, these drops of frames They make us wonder if it is really necessary to acquire a mobile by looking at this type of technical characteristics.
In this regard, Apple has handled the situation better than Android. In iPhone system, variable refresh rates are controlled by the operating system itself, while in Android, Google left a stone in the roof of manufacturers and developers. The Android APIs (tools that facilitate communication between software) are prepared so that the software can adapt, but they have not decided to centralize the control of high refresh rates, hence the disparate results.
My thought: carrying a 144Hz screen in your pocket is not an obligation
To end this reflection, I would like answer a few questions
Is it worth choosing a mobile only for the Hz of the screen? My answer is no, look at its data sheet and choose it if it meets your needs. A high refresh rate is an attractive feature, but it’s best to look at other specs. Likewise, most mid-range phones already have refresh rates above the standard 60Hz. This is only my personal opinion, as other experts suggest that this is a quiet revolution that improves user experience.
It’s very easy to maintain a high frame rate at home. Not so much in other sections, such as apps.
Another question I have is: would a 90Hz screen suffice? Better one with 120 or 144Hz? Human vision threshold is different between individuals, and it depends on each person’s unique perception, so it’s best that you check in first person if you notice the difference. Going back to the answer to the previous question, prioritizing other specs that add to your daily life, like having a headphone jack, a more versatile camera, or an efficient processor, it’s a matter of priorities.
In order to help you choose a mobile, looking at the refresh rate, we can say that in summary these are the main aspects which gives us a panel of these characteristics:
- A smoother user experience, yes, with a few exceptions.
- You will be able to enjoy games at a higher rate of frames, or what is similar, to more FPS. Although it depends on the title in question.
- Higher battery consumption. By rendering a greater number of images, the processor increases its performance, reducing the autonomy of the terminal.
- Likewise, these panels consume more. They light up more times per second, so they require a greater amount of energy.
Consider if you need a screen with a high refresh rate, I prefer to look at other sections
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, manufacturers use this feature as a lure to push us to make a purchase, and yes, it’s interesting, but it depends on each person’s needs. Moreover if I add the small problems that I reviewed, the same This is not a prerequisite for me. In my humble opinion, high-hertz screens are not a revolution in mobile use and it is that in short, you will continue to send WhatsApp and watch social networks in the same way.
cover image | Pepu Ricca with Bing Image Creator
In Xataka Android | My mobile doesn’t have 120Hz, but with this trick I made the screen almost as smooth
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