Apple’s iPhone 14, which is likely to be released in the fall, will have a feature that Android devices have had for years: an always-on screen.
This is according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who outlined Apple’s possible plans in the latest installment of its “Power On” newsletter (via MacRumors). According to the report, Apple’s iOS 16, which is likely to come alongside the next iPhone, will include an “enhanced” lock screen, which will have widgets that have widget-like capabilities.
This is not yet an active screen, which means that part of the screen is illuminated with some basic data even when the phone is asleep. But Gurman says the new features in iOS 16 will have “future support” for an ever-active lock screen, though he’s not sure it’s ready in time for the iPhone 14 launch.
Gurman also claims that the always-on mode, if it happens, will be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models.
SEE ALSO: When will your iPhone become obsolete?
The always-on screen is familiar to Android phone owners, including Samsung, Xiaomi, and Oppo, many of whom have been offering the feature for years. The Apple Watch also has a display mode always on (starting with Apple Watch Series 5 and later).
Rumors of an always-on screen on the iPhone aren’t new either. Gurman himself predicted last year that the feature would be available on the iPhone 13, which never materialized.
In other Apple-related news, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently tweeted that Apple is unlikely to launch its rumored augmented / mixed reality phone at this year’s WWDC. Kuo still believes Apple will release it next year.