5 Reasons We Hate the Always-On Display on the iPhone 14 Pro
One of the newest features of the iPhone 14 Pro is its always-on display. Android has had AOD for several years, but the style Apple follows is very different—but not necessarily good.
Below, we’ll list the five reasons why we think the iPhone’s AOD implementation isn’t as great as people make it seem.
1. Apple Gives You No Control Over the Always-On Display
In classic Apple fashion, the always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro is not customizable, unlike the implementation followed by Android manufacturers. For instance, you may’t manually change the AOD brightness level according to your preference; the screen adjusts brightness automatically according to ambient light.
You can’t change the clock style for the always-on display, either. The phone retains the same one you have on your Lock Screen. To give Apple some credit,iOS 16 makes Lock Screen customization easy, but it’s sad to see the always-on display not getting the same treatment.
2. iPhone’s Always-On Display Consumes More Battery Life
On Android phones, the AOD feature goes completely black by turning off the pixels on the screen, taking advantage of the OLED panel. Only a tiny portion of the screen remains lit to show the clock, battery percentage, and other info to minimize battery consumption.
The always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro lineup does not go pitch black—unless you set a black wallpaper, of course. Instead, it just dims your Lock Screen while keeping the clock bright enough. That means your screen is still active for the most part and depleting more battery life.
This might not be a big issue on the iPhone 14 Pro Max since it has a massive 4,323mAh cell, but the smaller 3,200mAh cell on the iPhone 14 Pro will suffer if you use AOD. To get the best battery life possible, we suggest youdisable the always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro.
3. Apple’s AOD Implementation Is More Distracting
The iPhone’s always-on display feature is also more distracting since it doesn’t turn off most of the display; this simulates the feeling that your screen is still active and makes notifications more noticeable, urging you to check them out.
A much better way to do this would be to allow you, as the user, to select when you want to see the always-on display. For example, you canset the always-on display on your Samsung phoneto show always, show after tap, show as scheduled, or show only for new notifications.
4. iPhone’s Always-On Display Is Less Private
Apple’s AOD implementation is also less private since your Lock Screen wallpaper, although dimmer, will always be visible to anyone who walks into your room or sits beside you.
This is a problem because you might haveset a private photo as your Lock Screen wallpaperthat you don’t want others to see. After all, the iOS Lock Screen is simply a door to the Home Screen; it’s not supposed to be visible for long.
5. iPhone 14 Pro’s AOD May Cause Screen Burn-In
You might be aware thatOLED screens can suffer from screen burn-in; it’s when parts of the display panel get permanently discolored or “burned,” and the marks left behind are always visible no matter what you’re doing or watching on your phone.
Since the always-on display feature on the iPhone 14 Pro stops the screen from ever turning off completely when it’s facing up, the risk of it developing a burn-in becomes significantly higher.
Over time, you might find noticeable marks on your iPhone that you can’t get rid of, which may hinder your workflow, social media scrolling, gaming, and anything else that requires the screen.
iPhone’s Always-On Display Is Unique But Not Ideal
Apple’s implementation of the always-on display feature is admittedly creative, but it’s a classic example of choosing form over function, meaning it’s pretty but not particularly useful.
The approach followed by Android manufacturers makes so much more sense. After all, the purpose of AOD is to show you all the essential information at a glance and nothing more.
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