One of the latest trends in terms of mobile telephony is to bring the refresh rate of screens to 120 Hz. This would mean an increase of twice the rate with respect to current devices, even in high-end mobiles that exceed 1,000 euros. Before going any further, something important: what, specifically, is the refresh rate on a screen?

What is the refresh rate of a screen (and why is it not so important)?

A screen's 'refresh rate' measures how often a screen updates its images per second. An eye would be unable to see beyond 220 images per second and some screens, such as computer monitors, can reach up to 480 Hz, something that we could qualify as a pure marketing strategy. So, is the 120 Hz refresh rate noticeable? Yes, and not always for the better.

The first mobile on the market with a 120 Hz refresh rate screen would make an appearance sooner than we might think. It is the new flagship of the Korean brand Samsung that, finally, will bear the name of Samsung Galaxy S20. It is also expected that the next OnePlus 8 will have a screen that they have seen fit to call 'Fluid Display'. This screen will be manufactured by Samsung and will carry OLED technology. In addition, other manufacturers such as Apple or Xiaomi have also dropped that they will launch respective terminals with that high refresh rate. For now, the highest refresh rate that we can see in a phone is 90 Hz in the OnePlus 7T Pro, the Realme X2 Pro or the Razer Phone 2.

In summary, we doubt that the 120 Hz refresh rate will be enjoyed beyond the user who uses his terminal to play demanding video games. However, we will have to wait for the first mobile phones to appear at 120 Hz in 2020 to do the first tests and then, now, to speak with total property about them.