Table of contents:
- When dark mode is really effective
- How much the dark mode increases the autonomy
- Do you need a dark mode on smartphones with LCD
2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44
Devices will actually last longer. But not all.
Dark modes of interfaces in mobile applications are becoming more and more popular. Many users are convinced that they can significantly extend the battery life of the smartphone. And this is so, but only in part.
When dark mode is really effective
Displays of mobile gadgets are of two types: LCD (they are also LCD, liquid crystal) and OLED (organic light-emitting diode). And dark themes do help conserve battery power, but only on smartphones with OLED screens. And it's all about the principles of the displays.
Liquid crystal screens (LCD) consist of a matrix that forms an image, a layer of liquid crystals and an LED backlight system. Roughly speaking, the LCD version works like this: the display crystals "sift" the light created by the backlight, passing only certain light waves through a colored grid of pixels, each of which contains red, green and blue cells. Thus, a color image is obtained.
Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens use a different principle. In them, the pixel grid and lighting are combined into one element. Each pixel emits its own light. This has many advantages - better contrast and more color saturation. But the main thing is that OLED displays are more energy efficient. And that's why.
When a pixel on an OLED display needs to display black, it actually turns off and stops consuming electricity. But devices with LCD screens (and LED-LCDs) have to constantly power the entire screen, no matter what picture it displays.
Therefore, using dark themes can really save you battery power, but only if you have a smartphone with an OLED, AMOLED, Super AMOLED, or P-OLED display.
How much the dark mode increases the autonomy
Google has conducted a study trying to determine how much its apps with dark themes help conserve battery power on smartphones with OLED displays. We compared a Google Pixel released in 2016 with an AMOLED screen and an iPhone 7 of the same year with an LCD screen.
The effect exceeded all expectations: according to the results obtained, the dark mode in the YouTube app saves 15 to 63% of the battery life of the device. True, only with an OLED screen.
So, AMOLED owners, turn on dark mode wherever you can. This will save you an extra hour of battery life.
Do you need a dark mode on smartphones with LCD
On devices with an LCD screen, you will not see much savings, at least paint the entire system in black. However, dark modes are useful even here. They help preserve eyesight for smartphone users, because when there is a lack of light, it is more convenient to read light text on a dark background.
If you want to extend the life of a smartphone with an LED, LCD or IPS display on battery power, lowering the overall screen brightness is sufficient. You don't need any other color tricks.
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