Are 144-165Hz smartphone displays overkill or genuinely useful for users?

Smartphone displays are moving beyond 120Hz, but real-world benefits remain limited as most apps, interfaces and games fail to utilise higher refresh rates fully

Smartphone brands are steadily pushing higher refresh rate displays, moving beyond 120Hz to 144Hz and even 165Hz. On paper, these upgrades appear significant and are often highlighted as key features. But the real question is simple: do they change day-to-day usage?

 

In most cases, the answer is not straightforward. While higher numbers bring technical improvements, the difference between 120Hz and 144Hz or 165Hz is often hard to notice in real-world use.

What 144Hz and 165Hz actually mean

Refresh rate refers to how many times a display updates in one second. A 60Hz display refreshes 60 times per second, a 120Hz display does it 120 times, while 144Hz and 165Hz panels go higher.

 

 

A simple way to understand this is through flip-book animation. The faster the pages flip, the smoother the motion appears. Similarly, a higher refresh rate should lead to smoother animations, fluid scrolling and better motion clarity.

 

In practice, the jump from 60Hz to 120Hz is clearly noticeable. However, moving beyond 120Hz does not deliver the same visible improvement.

Expectation versus reality

On paper, a 144Hz or 165Hz display should feel smoother than a 120Hz panel. In reality, the difference is marginal for most users.

 

One key reason is that the system interface itself is often capped at 120Hz. App optimisation also plays a major role. Most apps are not designed to take advantage of refresh rates beyond 120Hz.

As a result, even if a smartphone supports 165Hz, it operates at 120Hz or lower most of the time. The higher refresh rate is used only in select scenarios.

 

Gaming is one area where higher refresh rates could matter. However, even here, limitations remain. Most mobile games run at 60fps or 90fps. Some support 120fps, but very few go beyond that. This means higher refresh rate panels rarely operate at their full potential.

The trade-off: Battery consumption

Higher refresh rates come at the cost of increased power consumption. Running a display at 144Hz or 165Hz requires more energy than 120Hz or lower.

 

To manage this, manufacturers use adaptive refresh rate systems that lower the refresh rate when high smoothness is not needed. For instance, while reading or watching videos, the display may drop to 60Hz.

 

Most brands highlight this behaviour in settings. Higher refresh rate modes are typically labelled as offering smoother performance but higher battery usage, while lower modes prioritise efficiency.

If a smartphone were to run continuously at 165Hz, battery drain would be significantly higher. This is why such refresh rates are used selectively.

Where it matters, and where it doesn’t

Higher refresh rates can make a difference in competitive gaming. In fast-paced titles that support higher frame rates, they can improve motion clarity and responsiveness.

 

However, for everyday tasks such as social media, messaging and browsing, 120Hz is already smooth. Video content also does not benefit, as most media is produced at 24fps, 30fps or 60fps.

In these scenarios, factors such as brightness, colour accuracy and overall display quality have a greater impact on user experience than refresh rate alone.

Should you care about refresh rate

For most users, a well-optimised 120Hz display is sufficient. It delivers a smooth and responsive experience across typical use cases.

 

Instead of focusing only on higher refresh rate numbers, it is more practical to consider overall display quality, consistency and brightness.

 

At present, 144Hz and 165Hz displays are more of a specification-driven upgrade than a meaningful one in daily use. They add value on paper, but are unlikely to be the deciding factor for most users when choosing a smartphone.