Ever since Samsung introduced the always-on display on 2016’s Galaxy S7, the feature has made its way to practically every Android phone with an OLED display and some without. Today, an ambient display is virtually taken for granted. Some might even say that the absence of an always-on mode is more notable than its presence.
This year, amidst a blitz of marketing hyperbole, Apple finally introduced the long-awaited feature on the iPhone 14 Pro. In typical Apple fashion, not only is it another exclusive to Pro users but it also takes a diametrically different approach to Android devices. So, what’s different? Apple took the word always-on display to heart; its implementation of ambient mode quite literally has the lock screen turned permanently on — just slightly dimmer.