Google Admits That Dark Mode Is Better for Battery Life on Android

Megalith

Megalith

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Up until recently, one of Android’s unique strengths was the option for OLED displays, which not only allow for superior contrast ratios but potentially longer battery life, as the technology comprises pixels that can turn completely off. Essentially, handsets could last considerably longer if apps were run in a “dark mode,” rendering most of the screen black and reducing power consumption. For some reason, Google’s designers have been pushing the exact opposite, dressing their apps in an eye-searing white, but things may finally be turning around after the company’s latest, stunning revelation.

Google admitted on stage today that they’d made a bit of a mistake. Not recently, but over the past several years. Since Google’s Material Design initiative started, they’d been pushing the use of the color white, encouraging designers to use white as their primary color for all apps and interfaces. The proverbial Dark Mode can make a big difference in how much power ALL THE APPS need in Android. Google will likely continue to release Dark Mode in their apps through the future – just so long as we keep needing to have to recharge the batteries in our phones.
 
The thing that blows me away is that so much software makes accessibility options for those with physical disabilities, except for those with visual impairments that make the person sensitive to light. Like a dark theme.

We all would benefit from dark themes in software as it reduces eye strain for all of us. And it's such a simple thing to implement, and you only really need to do it once...
 
They really need to add "... on OLED-based display devices..." because this means absolutely Jack Fucking Shit for devices with traditional LED-backlit displays aka IPS and TN panels.
 
The next theme is acid in your face. You will loose your eyesite, but will be able to connect telepathically with google servers. :D
 
So, they've admitted they were deliberate retards when they went full white in UI.
 
BloodyIron said:
The thing that blows me away is that so much software makes accessibility options for those with physical disabilities, except for those with visual impairments that make the person sensitive to light. Like a dark theme.

We all would benefit from dark themes in software as it reduces eye strain for all of us. And it's such a simple thing to implement, and you only really need to do it once...
Click to expand...


I'd take it one step further.

Make it a system wide setting. If I like a dark background, let me set that. If I like a white background, let me set that. If I for some crazy reason like an electric pink background, let me set that.


Over the years, what I have liked about Android as been that it is user configurable. Google seems to have been wrecking that in the last few years, removing many of the customization options.

I wish there were a good third party mobile OS. Android is slowly going down the tube, bit there is no way I'll use IOS.

Too bad Ubuntus mobile project died.
 
Oddly enough, WIndows 10 actually has a green on black High Contrast theme. I use it at work, and it has saved my eyes plenty.

Yes, I use Windows 10, and it still sucks lol. But at least the theme is alright.

Haven't looked into this yet in Linux, probably should, lol...

Ubuntu Mobile is on Samsung Dex platforms now, go read the news ;)

Zarathustra[H] said:
I'd take it one step further.

Make it a system wide setting. If I like a dark background, let me set that. If I like a white background, let me set that. If I for some crazy reason like an electric pink background, let me set that.


Over the years, what I have liked about Android as been that it is user configurable. Google seems to have been wrecking that in the last few years, removing many of the customization options.

I wish there were a good third party mobile OS. Android is slowly going down the tube, bit there is no way I'll use IOS.

Too bad Ubuntus mobile project died.
Click to expand...
 
they added dark mode then taken it away for no public reason. Now they want to put it back?

hmm, if i was to guess, it might have to do with ads , and how ads which are eye-searing will now need to be toned down for dark mode.
 
My Moto G5 got recently updated to 8.1 Oreo. In old 8.0 everything was nice and dark in swipe down menus and so on. Now its glaring white. White text on dark background was easy on the eyes but now it is all annoying to look at. Yes please for Dark mode!
 
I'm partially blind in my left eye center vision and dark theme helps me a lot.
 
Would be NICE if they realized that a lot of users have OLED screens, which are subject to burn in, and made their apps appropriately....I have Google Maps permanently etched into my Samsung S8+ screen. Why can't they use pixel shifting or change up the location of buttons from time to time to mitigate this effect?
 
BloodyIron said:
The thing that blows me away is that so much software makes accessibility options for those with physical disabilities, except for those with visual impairments that make the person sensitive to light. Like a dark theme.

We all would benefit from dark themes in software as it reduces eye strain for all of us. And it's such a simple thing to implement, and you only really need to do it once...
Click to expand...

Honest question. Wouldn't reducing the luminosity just fix this? Or is this a "don't you all have phones" type question?
 
jnemesh said:
Would be NICE if they realized that a lot of users have OLED screens, which are subject to burn in, and made their apps appropriately....I have Google Maps permanently etched into my Samsung S8+ screen. Why can't they use pixel shifting or change up the location of buttons from time to time to mitigate this effect?
Click to expand...

My guess is cause this would make people think they have been hacked
 
jnemesh said:
Would be NICE if they realized that a lot of users have OLED screens, which are subject to burn in, and made their apps appropriately....I have Google Maps permanently etched into my Samsung S8+ screen. Why can't they use pixel shifting or change up the location of buttons from time to time to mitigate this effect?
Click to expand...

I'm with you.

This is what my old Droid Turbo looked like when displayingda blank grey screen after frequent Waze use back in 2015:

2018-11-11_12-27-47.jpg


I'm paranoid about using any navigation type software or any other application that keeps elements in screen for a long time on my OLED phone now.

I found a cheap old LG GPad X 8" tablet I installed LineageOS on for my navigation purposes now, in large part because it had an LCD screen (and because it was cheap)
 
Dark mode should be 100% global settings on all desktop and mobile platforms. I hate making changes in 5 different places and it still doesn't get everything. How hard could this possibly be?
 
Sad that after decades of monitor development, image burn in is still a thing. I remember IBM mainframe green screens where the menu display was perfectly readable with the power off.
 
That isn't enough of a difference. Having all black (or very dark) background with white/green text on top is oodles less light hitting your retina, even with luminosity (brightness? contrast?) turned down.

Think about it logically. It's less light particles being sent to your eye. It's that simple.

trentchau said:
Honest question. Wouldn't reducing the luminosity just fix this? Or is this a "don't you all have phones" type question?
Click to expand...
 
Interesting. Being that LCD screens aren't "Truly" off, it's still the same level of light but just the intensity or luminosity of the light. So that's why I asked.
 
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