The iPhone 14 has long been rumored to be getting a feature that many of us with an Apple Watch have enjoyed for quite a few years now and Apple's own Xcode developer software may have just confirmed it.
Spotted by rhogelleim, an iOS developer, the fourth beta of Xcode 14 seems to include an example of what an Always on Display may look like for the iPhone. As seen below in the screenshot, the iPhone will appear to darken and gray out the screen when the Always on Display feature is turned on.
The developer notes that the widget (of Tim Cook's face) is usually in full color, but the SwiftUI preview removes all of the colors from the image when this potential feature activates.
Looks like the Xcode 14 beta 4 is leaking the Always on Display in the SwiftUI preview.This is a widget (lock screen accessory) with a colorful image. #iOS16 #beta @MacRumors @9to5mac pic.twitter.com/h5SdCUHYmOAugust 1, 2022
What iPhones will get an Always on Display?
MacRumors contributor Steve Moser was able to get the same behavior to work in his own testing. In addition to seeing that the iPhone turned to grayscale, he also noted that the system appears to remove texture from a widget when the feature activates.
A preview of the rumored iPhone 14 Pro ‘Always on Display’ feature might have been leaked by Xcode 14 beta 4 Simulator. Attached are the first two frames of a video of waking the sim. The first image (Always on Display mode) removes texture from the whale image in the widget 🧵 https://t.co/YDsTmuHotb pic.twitter.com/jPYDGh7m6kAugust 1, 2022
While it would be great to see an Always on Display come to all iPhone 14 models, the rumors currently indicate that the feature will be reserved for the Pro models. One of the technologies that make an Always on Display a possibility is a display capable of a variable refresh rate.
Apple brought that to the Apple Watch in order to enable the feature and, last year, the company did the same for the iPhone 13 Pro models when it brought Pro Motion to the phones. That was a big step towards bringing the feature to the iPhone.
The rumors are, of course, still rumors. However, with the recent reports of upgraded OLED technology in the iPhone 14 Pro, hints in the latest iOS 16 developer beta, and this, it's hard not to believe the feature is on the way.
If an Always on Display doesn't interest you and you'd rather pick up an iPhone today, check out our list of the Best iPhone in 2022 so far.
The iPhone 13 Pro features the A15 Bionic processor, an upgraded camera system, and a Pro Motion display.
