Recent leaks show that the iPhone 13 could come with an always-on display, similar to the one already existing on the Apple Watch.
It’s a feature most Android phones have had for some time
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The report comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman who said that the 2021 iPhone may have an always-on display similar to Apple’s Watch, and which Android phones have had for some time. Gurman explained in his Power On newsletter that the new phones will offer improved battery life, as well as better video recording, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a faster A15 chip.
It is not the first time that always-on displays are rumored to be coming to the iPhone. Earlier in 2021, Max Weinbach had already hinted that Apple may use the same kind of low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panels that its Watches have on future iPhones. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also said earlier this year that the Pro iPhones coming this year would have LTPO displays and 120Hz refresh rates.
While this will no doubt make the iPhone look cooler, I am not yet convinced that this will bring incremental value to the phone. I love that my Watch is always on, but that’s because that is what everyone expects for a device whose primary function is to show the time of the day.