Ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that he expected the new iOS 16 operating system to support a future always-on display feature for the iPhone 14 Pro, and as it turns out, the iOS 16 code suggests the always-on display is indeed going to be implemented.
There are multiple references to an always-on display in iOS 16, as highlighted by 9to5Mac. There are a trio of new frameworks related to backlight management, a necessary part of an always-on display function. The frameworks mention an always-on display and are used by the Lock Screen and Springboard, suggesting that these mentions are not related to the existing Apple Watch always-on display.
The site says that there are also hidden flags within iOS 16 that allow Apple engineers to use the always-on display capability for testing purposes.
An always-on display has been rumored since always-on technology came to the Apple Watch, and it is a highly desired feature. It would let users see the time and other key iPhone information without needing to activate the screen.
The ProMotion displays planned for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are rumored to be capable of dropping to as low as 1Hz (down from 10Hz) to enable the always-on functionality without deeply impacting battery life.
Always-on display technology is likely going to be limited to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max because the standard iPhone 14 models are not expected to get the ProMotion displays necessary for the feature to work.
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