The iPhone has gone through plenty of changes over the years, but some things remain more or less the same: a home button, large screen and Face ID technology to unlock your smartphone. The iPhone 14 brought a new innovation to the table in the form of an always-on screen, allowing you to use your phone while it’s charging without having to press any buttons. This might seem like an unnecessary change from previous generations, but there are actually several reasons why this feature was necessary. Here’s what you need to know about the iPhone 14’s always-on screen and why you should care about it.
What is the always-on screen?
Ever since the original release of the iPhone in 2007, Apple has been very cautious about not having any features that would distract users from their phone.
So there was no lock screen, and even today you can’t change the wallpaper on your lock screen. But with iOS 12, Apple introduced an always-on screen that would stay lit up at all times.
In theory, this means that you won’t have to press the power button to see what time it is and whether you have any notifications.
And it also provides a distraction-free lock screen for those who want to avoid the temptation of scrolling through social media while waiting for a bus.
One of the most striking innovations that came with the iPhone 14 was the inclusion of always-on screen.
The idea behind this innovation is twofold; one, it eliminates battery life as a concern for people and two, it increases productivity by eliminating distractions caused by pressing power buttons constantly throughout the day just to check notifications.
One drawback is that after using your phone all day long and not locking it once, you will return home and find yourself unable to unlock your device without turning off its light first.
Apple says they are working on solving this problem but so far they haven’t succeeded in coming up with a solution yet.
For now, we’re left with lock screens that turn themselves off automatically after some unspecified amount of time.
It should be noted that if you keep your phone face down on a table, it will not display anything which solves this issue.
If your lock screen isn’t showing anything when it turns itself off though then don’t worry; because FaceID still works when the light is off.
How does it work?
Apple included an always-on lock screen with the release of the new iPhones, allowing for users to see notifications and messages without unlocking their devices.
However, it has been met with mixed reviews from critics who feel that the technology is not a necessary addition to iOS.
A few features of the lock screen are worth mentioning. For example, there is no need to unlock your phone to see what time it is when you glance at your lockscreen because it will display the current time along with any missed alerts in a circular fashion on top of your wallpaper.
There are also different levels of notification alert intensity that allow you to set how much data you want displayed on your lockscreen and it will automatically adjust its brightness according to ambient light so you can use it in any lighting conditions.
Is it battery friendly?
We wanted to find out what the experience is like, so we spent a day with the phone as our only device. For starters, it has an insane battery life.
We fully charged it in the morning and didn’t have to charge it until well after 8 p.m., which is unheard of for an iPhone these days.
In fact, I only had to charge it twice in 24 hours! The downside is that you can’t just turn off your screen anymore because this new feature will always be on. However, iOS has a lock screen that’ll allow you to get notifications from any app you want without having to unlock your phone.
So, if you’re at a restaurant waiting for someone and need to know if they called, you don’t have to unlock your phone (and scroll through screens) every time the person calls or texts.
You just pull up the lock screen menu and choose their name.
It also comes in handy when your phone is dying and you want something more than the last few minutes of battery left before it shuts off completely.
That way, you can still read your email or send that important text while still conserving some power.
Lock screen notifications are especially convenient when you’re driving because it doesn’t require taking your eyes off the road.
What are the benefits?
Lock screen notifications are one of the most widely used features on an Android device, which is why it was such a big deal when Apple introduced this with the iPhone 14.
The lock screen is a convenient place to see all of your notifications in one location, and you can also get access to quick settings for things like Wi-Fi, volume and flashlight.
This feature makes it much easier to keep track of what has been happening on your phone throughout the day.
Plus, if you ever need to silence your phone during a meeting or while at school, you can simply disable the lock screen without having to go into your settings.
You’ll have to remember to turn the lock screen back on once the meeting is over or class ends though.
It might be helpful for people who don’t use their phones often, but those who do will likely find themselves irritated by how often they have to unlock their phones now.
This new lock screen setting will make it easier than ever to check messages as soon as they arrive, but that convenience comes at a cost: battery life.
When you’re constantly refreshing your lock screen every few seconds (as we were), even just ten minutes of being locked out resulted in a 30% decrease in battery life.
Are there any downsides?
It is true that an always on screen will make the battery last a lot less than it would if it were turned off.
Many people also complain about the glare coming from their screens in direct sunlight. Lock screen notifications are also annoying because they don’t disappear when you turn your phone over like they do when you have a lock screen timer.
Lock screen notifications can be even more infuriating with lock screen widgets, where apps update every minute and notification badges continue to build up.
The worst part of this feature is that many lock screen widgets require a passcode, which means unlocking your phone each time you want to view them.
Lock screen widgets also tend to be visually unappealing and bulky, as developers often just make them bigger to fit all the information.
There are some good ones though, such as Flipboard or Bose Soundsense,but these are not nearly enough of them to justify lock screens being enabled by default on all phones