Always-On Displays ( AOD ) have become a very important feature for many smartphone users. It allows users to simply glance at the lock screen whenever there are new notifications and important updates thus saving people from unnecessary hassle. Now, interestingly, OnePlus, despite using AMOLED displays on their handsets have refrained from adding this particular feature to Oxygen OS for years. It was added to the OnePlus 6 albeit only temporarily. However, it looks like it is finally coming, thanks to the company’s new IDEAS platform where the feature was highly suggested.
The top IDEA is Always-On Display. We hear you, and our OS Product team has replied: it's on our roadmap.
— OnePlus (@oneplus) March 27, 2020
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Now, to be precise, OnePlus says on its forum that the feature is now on its roadmap and already under testing. The main concern is that it could have an adverse impact on battery life, although initial power consumption tests have been passed, says the official thread. However, the company has admitted that it’s a challenge because battery life still takes a hit and the effects would be event worse on a high refresh rate display, tests for which are underway currently. OnePlus rounds off the message by saying that it will share the results of the research on their community page sometime next week and we very much look forward to it.
This means that while the company is surely testing the OnePlus AOD feature, there currently isn’t a guarantee that we will see the feature on stable Oxygen OS devices. It is possible that the OnePlus 6/6T or even the OnePlus 7/7T could get it since these handsets either don’t have high refresh rates or have manageable ones.
The point of having AOD isn’t to save battery? I thought on an Amoled display with AOD only the needed pixels were used thus saving battery. But perhaps, and now that I think about it it must be that the screen being always on… Haha. Anyway if others can do it why can’t OP?