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iPhone 11 Pro iOS 13 Darkmode - The robot says better for battery.. you?
- Thread starter Harlandos
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I’m assuming you’re referring to the the PhoneBuff battery test here?
I think the short answer is “yes, dark mode saves battery life”
The longer, more precise answer is that “your mileage may vary”.
One thing to note about his battery test is that he only tested situations where dark mode was available. If you spend a lot of time gaming, watching videos or on apps that don’t support it, you likely won’t see too much of a difference.
Another thing, screen brightness. The brighter you keep your screen, the bigger the saving you’ll get from dark mode. The more power each pixel is sucking up, the more you’ll save by having them completely off in dark mode.
I think he does a good job explaining the limitations of this test. My interpretation is that 30% savings is the absolute most that you’ll ever see in any conditions.
I did a rough back-of-the-envelope calculation and figure the most I would save based on my usage is probably 10%. So if I end a typical day with 40% left, dark mode would have me at 46%. I used dark mode all day for a couple days straight and that seems about right. Nothing to sneeze at, but not enough for me to decide to use it.
I am interested in other people’s experiences though. Good thread topic.
I think the short answer is “yes, dark mode saves battery life”
The longer, more precise answer is that “your mileage may vary”.
One thing to note about his battery test is that he only tested situations where dark mode was available. If you spend a lot of time gaming, watching videos or on apps that don’t support it, you likely won’t see too much of a difference.
Another thing, screen brightness. The brighter you keep your screen, the bigger the saving you’ll get from dark mode. The more power each pixel is sucking up, the more you’ll save by having them completely off in dark mode.
I think he does a good job explaining the limitations of this test. My interpretation is that 30% savings is the absolute most that you’ll ever see in any conditions.
I did a rough back-of-the-envelope calculation and figure the most I would save based on my usage is probably 10%. So if I end a typical day with 40% left, dark mode would have me at 46%. I used dark mode all day for a couple days straight and that seems about right. Nothing to sneeze at, but not enough for me to decide to use it.
I am interested in other people’s experiences though. Good thread topic.
Thanks! Also - thanks for confirming & adding the video. It’s a really curious piece of investigation.. I’m looking forward to others and their perceived battery savings on what is already an impressive battery life (for the first time, dare i say!) in the 11 gen iPhones..
Mine auto-switches at night - during the day, I find light mode easier to read/see. Don't really care about the extra battery life as my iPhone 11 Pro Max easily makes it through the day and night, even with heavy usage. I just charge it in the morning before I leave the house.
I have a heavily used, year old XS Max.
No gaming. My iPhone is basically a pocket MacBook. I use it constantly at work for email, iMessages, streaming music, editing documents.
My subjective opinion is that dark mode helps battery life, noticeably.
No gaming. My iPhone is basically a pocket MacBook. I use it constantly at work for email, iMessages, streaming music, editing documents.
My subjective opinion is that dark mode helps battery life, noticeably.