The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models were introduced to get always-on display features, and now there seems to be one more reason to believe it. An iOS developer has spotted what looks like a preview of the feature in Xcode beta 4. Multiple references to the presence of an always-on display have been spotted in iOS 16 that Apple has announced father earlier this year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman speculates that the feature will be exclusive to the Pro models of the iPhone 14.
According to one tweet via iOS developer rhogelleim (via 9to5mac), the SwiftUI preview, which allows developers to interact with their app projects in real time, appears to have leaked an example of the always-on feature. He shared a screenshot and said the widget (lock screen accessory) with Apple CEO Tim Cook’s face, normally rendered in full color, has been grayed out, hence the hint of the feature.
The always-on display technology allows the phone to display notifications, battery status, clock… phone. Basically, it also consumes very little battery. Apple currently only offers the always-on display feature in the latest version Apple Watch Models.
As mentioned, iOS 16 has also been report to include some reference to the feature. The iPhone 14 Pro models are said to have a refresh rate that can drop to as low as 1Hz from a maximum of 120Hz. This saves battery life while providing always-on visibility. These models will come with iOS 16 pre-installed. Apple’s introduction of support for new widgets and notification styles on the improved Lock Screen suggests that it could be part of always-on visibility.
In fact, Mark Gurman said in May that iOS 16 will include future support for an always-on lock screen that will allow the iPhone to reduce its frame rate significantly and display “visible information” when the screen is inactive. He said the feature might be exclusive to Pro models: iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. He also said the feature will not be available for existing iPhone models.
