It is widely expected that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 14 Pro will sport a new display with a pill + hole-punch camera cutout for Face ID and the front camera. It has also been rumored that the device will support an always-on display. New wallpapers that Apple released for iOS 16 not only have references to the functionality but also feature elements that support it.
Always-on display mode for iPhone 14 Pro in development
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has repeatedly stated that Apple is working on an always-on display for iPhone 14 Pro that will show information on the screen when it is locked, similar to the Apple Watch and Android smartphones. This glanceable information can include new emails, messages, or calendar information.
Last month, multiple references in iOS 16 were discovered that confirm the existence of support for always-on display technology. Three new frameworks were discovered within iOS 16 that relate to the backlight management of the iPhone’s display. Back management is an important element that is required to make such a display work.
Now, 9to5Mac reports that the new iOS 16 wallpapers are not static and can therefore support an always-on display mode.
iOS 16 no longer uses static images as wallpapers. Instead, the new wallpapers are multi-layered vectors rendered in real time.
Now, in addition to the regular vectors, the native wallpapers (such as the default one and the recently added clown fish wallpaper) also have a new state labeled “Sleep,” which has very dark and faded elements. Wallpapers in this state are quite similar to the Apple Watch faces with always-on enabled.
So, when a user will lock the screen of the iPhone 14 Pro, the wallpaper will switch to “Sleep” mode, allowing users to see their wallpaper, the time, and other widgets, even when their iPhone is locked.
This year’s standard iPhone 14 model will feature the same design as its predecessor with the same A15 chip. On the other hand, the Pro models are expected to get the A16 chip, a new pill + hole punch cutout for the display, and major camera upgrades. All models will feature 6GB of RAM.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Kuo, the Pro models will feature an upgraded front camera which will offer sharper images and improved image quality thanks to autofocus.
The rear-end camera for the Pro models will be upgraded to 48MP. The bump will also enable 8K video recording, up from the iPhone 13 Pro’s 12MP camera and 4K video recording capabilities.
Barring any delays, the lineup is on track for a September release.
