When we first got wind of Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series having 120Hz displays, we were very excited at the idea of smooth scrolling and video playback. However, after recently discovering that the 120Hz mode won’t be available at the handset’s maximum resolution, we’ve now discovered some more disappointing news.
Max Weinbach, who has been publishing S20 leaks left right and center lately, is once again the source of this information, claiming that the S20 will come out of the box with the screen set to a 60Hz refresh rate. If you want to experience the display at its maximum smoothness, you’ll need to go into the settings and change it yourself.
What makes this odd is that previous leaks have apparently shown that the S20 will offer a 90Hz mode as an option between 60Hz and 120Hz, which would balance battery life and smoothness.
For comparison, the Google Pixel 4 has a 90Hz display, but it only works at that refresh rate certain brightness levels. The OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7T both use 90Hz displays too, which are on by default unless you turn them off, albeit at the expense of battery life. Apple's latest iPad Pros feature 120Hz displays, but automatically adjust their refresh rates on the fly based on the content on screen. We'd much rather see the Galaxy S20 take a similarly dynamic approach rather than operating at 60Hz out of the box.
While this display news doesn’t sound great, there are many other excellent rumored features coming to these new Samsung phones, including speedy Snapdragon 865 processors and a possible 108MP camera. If you want to learn more, then our Galaxy S20 rumors hub page will tell you everything that’s been officially announced and unofficially leaked.
