The iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on display, explained

Image: Apple

It finally did happen. There is an always-on display for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. If you have used a modern phone that has always-on screens, you probably know why they are useful, but this is a new thing in the world of Apple phones. Apple is doing it differently than other people.

Even though a phone is locked and resting on a table, it can still display basic information. The most important parts of your display are the ones that don't stay on. You might see a black screen with just the clock and some app icons on the phone from the company. You don't need to touch the phone or pick it up to see important information.

Apple is making a change. Instead of an always-on screen that is mostly off, Apple's always-on screen remains on, just a lot dimmer.

Next week, the next version of Apple's mobile operating system will come out, and it will add some new features to the lock screen. Even when the phone isn't being used, the phone's always-on screen will still show all of the features. You will still see your lock screen wallpaper, colors and all, but it will be much dimmer. The entire screen will stay on.

Apple and Image: Apple

Why didn't Apple add this feature sooner? It was waiting on technology that would allow it to do better than competitors.

The first thing Apple did was wait until the iPhone had anOLED screen, which only requires power and can be lit at different levels. That is something that all displays of any size have in common. The unique trait of always-on screens puts less strain on the battery than it normally does, making them much more power efficient than other display types.

That isn't the entire picture. Only the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max have the extra hardware necessary to power an always-on display, unlike the other models. The Pro's always-on display is made possible by a number of new technologies that make the display incredibly power efficient. The screen on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max can be adjusted to a low-power 1Hz mode, which means it only takes one second to refresh.

Getting more technical, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max use a low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) screen within its display to dynamically adjust the refresh rate, and it also allows for the display to dim the lock screen. Similar tech can be found in the Apple Watch Series 5 and newer, as well as some other phones and tablets. It isn't something you're going to find in every device.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

If you want to get an always-on screen into a phone, you don't need a screen like the one on the Moto X. Older and newer versions of the always-on display have in common, they aren't as rich an experience as the one offered by the iPhone 14 Pro.

We don't know how much Apple's always-on feature will affect battery life, but the Apple Watch Series 5 had great battery results when we reviewed it. My colleague Allison Johnson noted in her review that the battery life of the S22 Ultra wasn't great, but that it uses technology that yields more efficiency while in always on display mode.

The base model of the iPhone is jumping over the Pro model. The always-on feature is a visible and useful change that anyone who sees it in action can see. A way to bring colorful, more info-dense always-on screens to their new phones will hopefully be pursued by the competitors.