Dark Mode And OLED Phones - Questions Answered

Dark mode is on the rise, people are not only getting more used to it, but actually expect it for every new app they install. As a dark mode company, the surge of interest towards something that 5 years ago was considered as geeky and unimportant, we embrace this awesome shift.
The dark mode trend raises some questions (weird ones as well) that people are genuinely interested in. We decided to answer some of them bellow.

Does dark mode damage OLED panels?

All new smartphones are being manufactured with OLED (what is that?) displays nowadays and people are concerned wether the dark mode is damaging the OLED panels. No, when the OLED is dark (black), the pixels are turned off. Although it may sound reasonable to think that dark mode can actually increase the life of an OLED display, there are no evidences supporting that.

In any case, people are getting new smartphone every 2-3 years so even if dark mode was negatively affecting OLED panels, you wouldn’t be able to witness it.

Can dark mode extend my phone’s battery life?

The short answer is yes, but it depends. The most important factor is the technology of your smartphone’s screen.
If it is OLED, you can expect your battery to last a bit longer.
If it is LCD, the benefit is negligible.

The difference comes from the fact that when the pixel on OLED is displaying black color it is actually turned off. That part of the screen is using no energy at all. The LCD on the other hand, regardless of the color that is presenting, is always on which constantly consumes energy.

How much battery is saved if my smartphone is OLED and I use dark mode?

The battery savings for the darker applications are still being analysed. There is still no solid confirmation with precise data. Taking in consideration that both Android and iOS are moving in that direction, we can safely assume that the benefits are significant.

Does my smartphone use an OLED Screen

If you own a high end smartphone produced in 2018, then yes. For example Samsung Galaxy model range, iPhone X and Google Pixel all come with OLED screens. If you own one of the flagship models of Sony, Motorola, LG or OnePlus you can be sure that it uses OLED technology.

To be certain, simply type in Google “Your phone specifications” and most like the first result will offer you complete technical specs. If you find “OLED” in the specifications - that is great. If you find LED or LCD, having dark mode will not have any positive impact on your battery life.