iPhone 13 Could Use Always-On Display For Clock, Battery

The iPhone X back in 2017 was the first to fulfill the long-rumored move from LCD screens to OLED panels for Apple's iPhones. OLED technology has a couple of advantages over LCDs but one of the main ones remained unused in iPhones, at least so far. That could change in the iPhone 13, or at least the Pro models, which will employ new display technology that, together with OLED panels, can finally bring some Always-On Display or AOD functionality to iPhones.

One of the key benefits of OLED is that it doesn't take any power to display black. The pixel can simply be turned off, making it possible to only light up certain parts of the screen but not consume power the way an LCD screen would under the same circumstances. That is what gave way to AOD feature in some Android phones as well as on the Apple Watch.

According to Max Weinbach, Apple will put this to work on the iPhone 13 which is already rumored to use LTPO or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide. This is a battery-saving display technology is essential for high refresh rates, which the iPhone 13 might have, as well as AOD.

The iPhone 13's AOD functionality won't be like most Android phones, though. Unsurprisingly, it will focus on the bare essentials, like the clock and battery icons. Notifications will only light up a small portion of the screen without waking up the whole display but only temporarily. Don't expect fancy customization options from Apple just yet.

In addition to that, the tipster also talked about the iPhone 13 having a better matte back, making it more grippy and more comfortable to hold. Of course, we're still quite early into 2021 and some of these might not even come to pass in this year's iPhone generation.