Ever since Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro featured the company’s first always-on display, there’s been a lingering question about how much battery this feature will consume. In an in-depth new test, PhoneBuff compared how the iPhone’s always-on display drains battery with and without a background compared to turning the feature off completely.
Apple originally made the iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on display show a colored background, but some felt it was a bit too much.
With iOS 16.2 you can choose to disable the always-on wallpaper and notifications, Apple has delighted those looking for customization. The result is a more nuanced and always-on Android-like experience.
iPhone 14 Pro always-on battery drain results
After 24 hours of testing, we found that the always-on iPhone 14 Pro actually didn’t use much battery.
- Always On with Wallpaper = 0.8% more battery consumption per hour
- Always on without wallpaper = 0.6% more battery consumption per hour
An important detail to remember is that it is only true if: Always On Was Really Always On,it’s not. The screen will be completely dark in the following cases:
- Your iPhone is lying face down
- Your iPhone is in your pocket or bag
- Sleep focus is on
- Low power mode is on
- iPhone is connected to CarPlay
- I’m using Continuity Camera
- You haven’t used your iPhone for a while (iPhone learns your activity patterns and turns the display on and off accordingly, including when you set an alarm or sleep schedule)
- iPhone detects when you move away from paired Apple Watch (always-on display turns on when Apple Watch is near iPhone again)
However, in the worst case, always-on, always-on can consume 20% battery in 24 hours.
Another interesting comparison is the constant drain comparison between the iPhone 14 Pro and the Galaxy S22 Ultra, both starting at 100% and then ending the 24-hour test at 84% charge. Watch full video.
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