John Ternus, Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, officially succeeded as Apple's CEO on September 1st. This personnel change was unanimously approved by the board, with Tim Cook transitioning to Executive Chairman of the Board, marking a new management phase for Apple.
Some netizens have noted that during Tim Cook's tenure as Apple CEO, the first phone released under his leadership was the iPhone 4s, and the last was the iPhone 17e. Interestingly, both models feature 60Hz refresh rate screens, spanning a full 15 years apart.
Since the iPhone 13 Pro series first introduced ProMotion adaptive high refresh rate technology, high refresh rate screens have been part of Apple's lineup for nearly five years. Yet today, Apple's e-series products, whether the iPhone 16e or iPhone 17e, still stick with 60Hz screens.
Apple's strategic intent is clear: using screen refresh rates to draw a distinct product hierarchy line. The e-series, priced around 4,000 yuan, maintains performance competitiveness by featuring flagship A-series chips while cutting costs on the display. This combination of "flagship chip with low-refresh-rate screen" essentially asks users to pay for performance while compromising on daily usage experience.
However, the Android market landscape has changed dramatically. Today, 120Hz high refresh rate screens are standard even in budget phones. The smoothness and touch responsiveness brought by high refresh rates offer a more intuitive and significant improvement in daily use than mere processor upgrades.
Notably, the upcoming iPhone 18e, expected in the first half of next year, is rumored to maintain a 60Hz refresh rate. If true, this would mean Apple's e-series will feature 60Hz screens for three consecutive generations, consistently failing to keep pace with industry standards in this core experience metric.
Although the A-series chips still lead their class in computing power, the limitation of screen refresh rates significantly detracts from the daily scrolling and visual interaction experience, creating a noticeable disconnect between "excessive performance" and "compromised experience."