Base iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus unlikely to feature ProMotion and Always-On Display

One of the highlights of last year’s iPhone 14 lineup was the implementation of Always-On Display functionality to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. While the feature has been present on a wide range of Android devices for the better part of a decade, this is the first time Apple has dabbled with it.

Unfortunately, Apple’s take on the Always-On Display ostensibly relies on its ProMotion technology (i.e. the adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate), which is only present on the Cupertino company’s most high-end devices. Now, it seems, next year’s vanilla iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will lack both of the aforementioned features.

According to a leak first brought forward in a blog post, and subsequently covered by MacRumors in a dedicated article, the non-Pro iPhone 15 models will be receiving neither Always-On Display functionality, nor ProMotion.

This means that, in all likelihood, the lower-end variants will be stuck with a 60Hz panel, quite possibly making them the most expensive smartphones with such low refresh rate. Even entry-level smartphones from competitors often bump the refresh rate up to 90Hz.

In light of this decision, it seems Apple is doing little to boost the appeal of its non-Pro iPhones, despite the lackluster commercial performance of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. It seems Apple is opting for a different route - making the Pro models more premium and even more expensive.

While this approach is not particularly customer friendly, the strategy seems to be working wonders. In fact, according to most rumors, Apple is even considering a top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Ultra that could end up being one of the most expensive non-foldable smartphones of all time.

However, it should be noted 2023's best iPhone is not necessarily the most expensive one. Regardless of what Apple tries to sell you - you simply do not have to splurge $1000+ on a smartphone, unless you absolutely want to.