The iPhone 17 has officially been unveiled, and while it's the Air model grabbing most of the attention I'm far more interested in the display upgrades in the regular range. For the first time, the base model will feature a full 120Hz display - and 2025 might just be the first year that makes sense.
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro | $1,299 at Amazon
RedMagic 10S Pro | $949 at Amazon
The best gaming phones have been upgrading display speeds for years now, with the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro already at a particularly speedy 185Hz. The vast majority of purpose-built Android gaming phones have long been offering faster screens as standard - and it's meant the classic iPhone has been out of the running for a little while now.
Why's it so important in 2025? More games can actually make the most of these speeds now.
The first iPhones to introduce 120Hz refresh rates were the iPhone 13 Pro / Pro Max back in 2021. At that time, only a handful of games could actually ramp up to 120fps, making the faster screen a neat bonus for smooth scrolling but relatively meaningless in a gaming sense.
Now we've got hundreds of titles optimized to make the most of faster refresh rates and more powerful processors. Heavy hitters like Subway Surfers, Pokemon Go, and Alto's Adventure, but you'll find meatier titles like Call of Duty: Mobile, League of Legends: Wild Rift, and Genshin Impact running pushing past 60fps caps as well.
Not only is the iPhone 17's display faster, but it's also bigger. A 6.3-inch panel still isn't quite as large as dedicated devices - but it's certainly got a slight edge over the 6.1-inch iPhone 16.
I haven't been able to recommend an iPhone for gaming for some time now. The Pro and Pro Max models are wildly expensive for the upgrades they offer, and cheaper Android alternatives offer far better gaming specs anyway. Depending on how it performs in the hand, that could be changing this year.
- See all gaming phones at Amazon
- iPhone 17 | $799 at Apple (pre-orders open 9/12)
- Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro | $1,299 at Amazon
If you're after a larger screen, check out the best gaming tablets. If it's actual physical buttons you yearn for, take a look at the best gaming handhelds on the market. Of course, you might also need a pair of the best gaming earbuds to maximize your experience.
