OnePlus Always On Display Is Finally Coming Soon, New Features Detailed

Not too long ago, OnePlus opened its doors to its faithful community, seeking ideas and proposals that reflected that community's collective desires rather than some company exec's vision. Those familiar with OnePlus' devices and its users might not be surprised that the most voted feature is always on display. The company has long resisted implemented it but can no longer deny users what they want and, if things go smoothly, AOD will finally be available on some OnePlus phones in a few months.

Always on Display or AOD was invented as a way to inform users of hopefully important notifications without having to turn on the entire display. That's because the display is always on anyway, as the name says, and simply uses black pixels to make it look like it isn't. That's also why this feature only makes sense with OLED or AMOLED screens since displaying black pixels don't take any power at all in contrast to LCDs.

When OnePlus removed LED indicators from its phones, users felt they lost the ability to be visually informed when those arrive. OnePlus implemented its Horizon Light as a compromise but it only really showed that there are notifications without hinting at what those may be. OnePlus sees it as a benefit since users won't be distracted by it. Users argued, however, that it only made the urge and the distraction stronger precisely because they didn't know what's lurking behind the locked screen.

Finally giving into user demand, OnePlus promised to look for efficient ways to implement what it explains could be a battery drainer. It seems to have settled upon something acceptable and has now revealed it will be rolling out the feature in closed and open beta testing around August or September. It doesn't say which phones will support the feature.

OnePlus also lists the other features that made it through its IDEAS campaign. Those include using the fingerprint scanner to protect hidden pictures in the gallery, having folders in the app drawer, and even sounding a notification when the battery is fully charged. These are only marked as "in the roadmap" so their actual timeline is still unknown.