With the release of the iPhone 14 Pro came one of the most talked about features: always on screen. It is a technology that Android users have enjoyed for years and that Apple wants to reinterpret. The latter is key, and what sets Apple’s Always on Display apart is that it displays more information** and is (or was) much more complete on a visual level than its rivals.

The tribute in exchange for an AOD mode that depends on both auto-brightness and the rate of notifications the phone has has somehow turned into a rapidly increasing consumption. With the new iOS 16.2 beta, the solution was simple: follow the Android Always on Display steps.

In the end, a basic AOD was required.

Always on Display has been on Android for quite some time, but Apple first introduced it with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Its operation was not like that of a black screen with no information beyond the clock and notification icons, but more like this: full panel dimmingRespect notifications, wallpaper and lock screen widgets.

From a functional point of view, the idea yielded good results, but at the energy level the consumption skyrocketed. Relying on auto-brightness itself allows the battery to fly in the sunlight, emitting quite a few nits and having colorful backgrounds that need to be illuminated. Apple’s solution was clear: make it simpler.

Image: 9to5mac.

The third beta of iOS 16.2 includes new settings for AOD mode with options to remove wallpaper and notifications. These two are key points for limiting energy consumption, and this is because an all-black panel (with the exception of the time icons) always requires less battery in a terminal with an OLED display.

A complete Always on Display that consumes a lot of energy, or a much less complete Always on Display for more controlled consumption. Be as much as you can It seems Android is not so misguidedand that the path to efficiency is to remove the elements.