iPhone 14 Pro: Always-On mode causes 20% battery loss per day

A Youtubeur compared the loss of autonomy of an iPhone 14 Pro Max using the Always-On Display feature with another iPhone where it is disabled, and the difference is ultimately quite significant.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is still one of the most durable high-end smartphones on the market, even though it was recently overtaken by the Xiaomi 13. Since the iOS 16 update, Apple has given the latest generation Pro models an Always-On Display modewhich allows the time and other items to be displayed even when you are not using the smartphone.

On its YouTube channel, PhoneBuff, which specializes in battery life tests, wanted to see if the Always-On Display feature really reduced the battery life of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. He has then compared an iPhone 14 Pro Max with Always-On activated with an iPhone 14 Pro Max on which the mode is deactivatedand even added a third device that uses the new dark modewhich appeared in a recent update.

Always-On mode quickly drops battery life

When ambient brightness is set to 150 lux, both iPhone 14 Pro Max with Always-On Modes enabled only lose 2% battery after 8 hours. The test was therefore repeated with an ambient brightness of 1000 lux, since this forces the iPhone to increase the brightness of the screen.

In this case, the iPhone 14 Pro Max with the classic Always-On mode loses 3% in 8 hours, compared to 2% on the one with the black mode. To have a more marked difference, the test was extended up to 24 hours. After such a period of time, the first drops to 80% battery, while the second does a little better with 84%. These results therefore align with DXOMARK’s study on the Always-On mode.

Note that in all tests, iPhone 14 Pro Max with Always-On display disabled always showed 100% battery, even after 24 hours. This result may very well be slightly skewed, as iPhones often display “100%” for longer than other smartphones, even if their battery level has already dropped. The Galaxy S22 Ultra seems slightly more efficient than the iPhone on Always-On mode, but it will take deactivate the option if you wish to maximize the autonomy of your smartphone.