According to a Bloomberg report, the next series of iPhones might feature an always-on display function that would be added to iOS 16. Rumors are flying around as the upcoming Apple events get closer and closer to fruition. Since the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020 that forced the cancellation of in-person Apple events, the company's special events have been held in an all-virtual format. Although it is undoubtedly a different experience, Apple brings people closer to the action in their virtual events with stunning visuals that highlight their devices' newest features. One of those new features might just be an always-on display, a function that has been on competing Android phones for quite some time.
Users will get a taste of the feature additions set to come to iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS, macOS and tvOS in the coming days, with the Worldwide Developers Conference and its special event keynote in early June. The Worldwide Developers Conference is held by Apple each year and brings developers in to showcase the changes made to the company's software to be released in the fall. While the special event does serve as a neat preview, some of the full features won't be unveiled until Apple's annual fall special event. This is where the newest iPhones are revealed, and some crucial features are reserved for the latest devices.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a noted journalist with a strong track record of Apple leaks, says that the iPhone 14 series and iOS 16 could enable an always-on display function. "I'm told iOS 16 builds in future support for an always-on lock screen, something Apple was originally planning for last year's iPhone 13," Gurman said in his newsletter. "This would allow the iPhone to turn down the frame rate significantly on the lock screen and display quickly glanceable information – similar to newer Apple Watches." Starting with the Apple Watch Series 5, the popular smartwatch has featured an always-on display with a variable refresh rate. This means it can quickly switch between refreshing the screen data as low as one frame per second to as high as 60 frames per second. As a result, it provides immeasurable value and glanceability and preserves battery life.
An Always-On Display Is A Must-Have Feature
Gurman's report gives more credibility to similar claims from other leakers, and as the iPhone 14's release date gets closer, these reports are more likely to be true. However, the new feature might not be available on all iPhones, even if it is introduced on the software level in iOS 16. "I'm told to expect always-on display mode as an exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models if the feature ever makes the cut," Gurman added. Unfortunately, this means that the standard iPhone 13 models will not receive the new feature, nor will existing models from the last few years. Although this is disappointing, since the always-on display would require a low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) screen and controller, it would make sense that these hardware changes would only be fit for premium models.
It's not certain that the feature will make its way to the premium iPhones set to debut this fall, but it will be a must-have feature if an always-on display is added. The always-on display found on the Apple Watch is abundantly helpful because it gives a ton of information at just a glance. In the settings menu, users can set the Apple Watch screen to show nearly 10 widgets with information, such as weather and fitness tracking. An always-on display on the iPhone could feature a static time and date section paired with a notification indicator, making checking these details a breeze when placed on a surface. For this reason, the always-on display would be one of the iPhone 14 Pro's best features and would tighten the gap between iPhone and Android flagships.
Source: Bloomberg