Sebaraya Tech – Refresh rate is how many times per second your screen redraws its image, measured in hertz (Hz). A 60 Hz screen updates 60 times a second; a 120 Hz screen does it twice as often, so scrolling and animations look smoother.
It’s one of the most advertised phone specs, and one of the easiest to misread. Here’s what the numbers mean for daily use, what they cost in battery, and where to change the setting on Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel.
How Refresh Rate Works
Every screen shows motion as a series of still images, like a flip book. The refresh rate is how many pages the screen can flip per second.
More pages per second means each movement is split into smaller steps. Your eyes read that as smoother motion, especially when you scroll a long feed or swipe between home screens.
Refresh rate is not the same as resolution. Resolution decides how sharp a single image is; refresh rate decides how fluid the movement between images feels.
Comparing 60, 90 and 120 Hz
| Refresh rate | Updates per second | Where you notice it |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Hz | 60 | The long-time standard; fine for reading and video |
| 90 Hz | 90 | Smoother scrolling than 60 Hz |
| 120 Hz | 120 | Smoothest scrolling and animations on most current phones |
The jump from 60 Hz to 90 or 120 Hz is easiest to see while scrolling text. Watching a typical video won’t show much difference, because the video itself has a fixed frame rate.
Samsung notes that its phones before the Galaxy S20 series ran at 60 Hz. Many recent phones now go up to 120 Hz, including the iPhone 16 Pro with ProMotion.
Adaptive Refresh Rate Saves Battery
A higher refresh rate costs power. Both Samsung and Google say raising it can reduce battery life.
That’s why most phones use an adaptive mode. The screen speeds up while you scroll and slows down for static content, such as a photo or a page you’re reading.
Some displays can drop very low when nothing moves. Google lists the Pixel 8 Pro’s range as 1–120 Hz and the Pixel 8’s as 60–120 Hz. A wider range means more room to save power on still images.
Battery saver modes often switch you back to 60 Hz. On Galaxy, Power saving mode sets Standard; on Pixel, Battery Saver turns Smooth Display off.
Change Refresh Rate on Samsung Galaxy
- Open Settings > Display > Motion smoothness.
- Choose Adaptive (up to 120 Hz as needed) or Standard (60 Hz).
- Tap Apply.
Select models also offer High, which locks the screen at 120 Hz and uses the most battery. Some models can’t run 120 Hz at the highest WQHD+ resolution and drop to Standard automatically.
Change Refresh Rate on Google Pixel
On Pixel, the option is called Smooth Display and sits under the Display & touch settings. Turning it on lets supported apps run at the phone’s higher rate.
The maximum depends on the model: up to 90 Hz on Pixel 7 and 7a, and up to 120 Hz on Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and Pixel 8a.
Is 120 Hz Worth It?
For most people, yes, if the phone has a good adaptive mode. You get the smoothness while scrolling without paying the full battery cost all day.
If battery life matters more than smoothness, Standard 60 Hz is the most power-efficient choice on Galaxy, according to Samsung. It’s a reasonable setting for long travel days.
When comparing phones, look past the headline 120 Hz figure and check whether the refresh rate is adaptive. That detail affects your battery more than the top number does.
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