Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
OnePlus 9 Pro will offer a unique twist on adaptive refresh rate displays
- The OnePlus 9 Pro will pack an adaptive display that dips down to just 1Hz, a first among phones.
- This promises speedy 120Hz visuals without as much of a hit to battery life.
- It also offers extremely quick 360Hz touch response.
OnePlus is still dribbling out details of the 9 series ahead of its March 23 debut, but this is one you may take particular interest in if you’re a fan of speedy screens. The company has revealed that the OnePlus 9 Pro will center around display with a unique adaptive refresh rate.
“Fluid Display 2.0” will use a Samsung-made LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) OLED display that ramps down from a quick 120Hz all the way to just 1Hz when looking at static content— a first for a phone, OnePlus claims. Along with tweaks, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s display reportedly uses about half as much power as before. That could be helpful when you’re browsing photos, reading text or otherwise looking at static material.
LTPO displays are nothing new in the phone world. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra used one, for example. However, they don’t really go as low as 1Hz in practice — AnandTech observed that the Note wouldn’t dip below 48Hz. In theory, you’ll wring out more battery life than you would with a comparable 120Hz screen.
Read more: The best Android phone display of mid-2020
The OnePlus 9 Pro display might also be ideal for gaming. It boasts a 360Hz touch response, nicknamed Hyper Touch, that promises to cut up to 30ms of latency in games. While this isn’t the fastest response on the planet (Xiaomi’s Mi 11 hits 480Hz), it’s still rare and could make all the difference in action-driven games. You will need special support, though. Only Call of Duty Mobile, League of Legends, PUBG, and Brawl Stars will work with Hyper Touch at first, with other titles coming sometime in the future.
It’s not certain how much of this display technology will translate to the regular OnePlus 9, although rumors have suggested it might have a more conventional 120Hz panel.
There’s no doubt OnePlus is in hype mode here — it wants to convince you that the 9 Pro has one of the best displays on the market, and one you can’t get elsewhere (at least, for now). Whether or not that claim is warranted, it’s evident that OnePlus at least wants a truly competitive screen that could lure you away from the Galaxy S21 and other top-tier flagships.