iPhone with always-on: what are the advantages?
At iCulture we have written several times about an always-on screen in the iPhone. It should have happened with the iPhone 13, but as we know, nothing came of it. Now the rumors focus on the iPhone 14. The Apple Watch has an always-on screen since the Series 5 and is a logical addition. But what are the advantages of an always-on screen in the iPhone? We list six possible advantages, but also present some possible disadvantages.
- Explanation
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
- Clock and battery
- Notifications
- Complications
- Faster to use
- Longer battery life
- App support
- 2022 – May 26, 12:28: This article has been updated with the latest information.
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Always-on on iPhone?
First of all, it's good to know that nothing is certain yet whether always-on will actually come to the iPhone. Some competing Android devices already have it and from that we can deduce what we can expect. Always-on ensures that (part of) the screen is always on, even if you are not using it. Last year we got a ProMotion screen on the iPhone for the first time. This means that the screen can not only be refreshed super fast with a frequency of 120 Hz per second, but it can also be turned back to 10 Hz at times when the content of the screen hardly changes. Apple can use that feature to enable an always-on screen on the iPhone. Apple has already proven on the Apple Watch that always-on works well, without the screen sacrificing image quality.
Always-on is possible thanks to an LTPO OLED display. The image refresh rate is then often adjusted downwards, so that the function does not consume too much power. On the Apple Watch you can see that the clock is refreshed every second, which is often just enough to always have up-to-date information.
#1 Quickly check the time and battery
If Apple chooses to add an always-on display to the iPhone, we think that telling the time and battery health are the two most important uses. You can then quickly consult the most relevant information from the lock screen: what time it is and whether your battery will last. If you wear a watch (an Apple Watch or any other watch or fitness tracker) this will be less useful for you, but for anyone without a watch it can come in handy. For example, if your iPhone is in a holder on your desk or in a dock on your bedside table. Because the iPhone uses OLED and Apple could put the always-on screen in a dimmed state, this may not give too much light at night. Your iPhone is therefore immediately a kind of alarm clock where you can always check the time.
#2 See notifications at a glance
What Apple can also show on an always-on screen on the iPhone 14 are your most important notifications. This can also come in handy if the iPhone is on the table or in a dock on your desk. This means you don't have to look at your Apple Watch or activate the screen of your iPhone to see your most important notifications in one go. This is especially useful in combination with the scheduled overview of notifications.
#3 Complications coming to the iPhone
This is perhaps the most interesting addition. You may be familiar with the complications on the Apple Watch. These are the small information blocks on the dial. The term complications has been used for years in the watch industry and not just in the medical world, as some people think.
Apple could easily put this on the lock screen of the iPhone with an always-on screen, so that you can quickly see the weather, a running timer or a calendar appointment from your iPhone. Without having to turn on the screen. If Apple is going to introduce an always-on screen, probably only part of the screen will show information. By putting this information compactly on the screen in small blocks, it does not look too busy and you are not overwhelmed by all kinds of information.
#4 Longer battery life (if you turn it off)
The iPhone 14 is rumored to have a longer battery life. That's a nice bonus, because any savings are welcome. An always-on screen helps with that even more. We have also seen this since the Apple Watch Series 5 and newer: these last just as long as previous models. As soon as you turn off the function, the battery life can be extended by a few more hours. That could also be the case on the iPhone 14. If the always-on screen comes, we assume that the option can also be turned off.
#5 Use your iPhone faster
Apple already lets you activate your iPhone in all sorts of ways: via the side button or home button, by lifting the iPhone or by tapping the screen. With an always-on screen, the display (as the name says) is always on. You would therefore only have to tap a notification that is already visible to take the iPhone out of the always-on mode and use it right away. Admittedly, this improvement wouldn't be very necessary, but it could make activating the iPhone a bit faster.
#6 Support by third-party apps
In addition to standard functions, an always-on screen could also be used by third-party apps. It's not for nothing that Apple opened up the always-on screen to developers in watchOS 8. Think of sports or audio apps that can make use of it. If you don't have an Apple Watch and often exercise with your iPhone, such an always-on screen can come in handy to quickly check how many kilometers you have run, for example. There are countless examples in which you switch off the automatic lock of your iPhone screen to prevent your iPhone from going black every time, for example when you give a presentation or when you are cooking.
Are there also disadvantages of always-on on iPhone?
In addition to these advantages, there are also some disadvantages of an always-on screen in the iPhone 14. This mainly has to do with the costs and whether it is for is useful to you or not.
#1 Probably only on more expensive models
If Apple is going to add an always-on screen to the iPhone 14 series, we'll probably only see it on the Pro models. Only these models receive the best and latest fencing techniques. We also see this on the Apple Watch: the more affordable Apple Watch SE does not have an always-on screen, while the latest Apple Watch Series 7 does. Apple really sees it as an extra feature for Pro users, so you have to pay more for it if you want to use it.
#2 Works (probably) only on lock screen
The always-on status probably only works on the lock screen with the notifications. When using apps, Apple will probably deactivate the function, to prevent the same things on the screen for a long time, which means there is a chance of burn-in. So don't expect that you can always have your favorite music app on (unless you turn off the automatic lock yourself).
#3 Unnecessary for Apple Watch users
Apple Watch users will benefit a lot less from an always-on screen in the iPhone 14, it is expected. After all, you always have a watch nearby where you can view the time and important information such as the weather, your agenda or timer. Especially if you already have an Apple Watch with always-on, the advantage on the iPhone is limited.
The always-on screen in the iPhone 14 is one of the possible innovations for the screen. Earlier you could read on iCulture about the iPhone 14 screen and all the expected improvements that can be there.
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