Last month, Apple rolled out the iOS 13 update and with it came a number of new features including Dark Mode, Apple Arcade, QuickPath, to name a few. The new Dark Mode has been one of the highlights of iOS 13, with several third-party apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter also introducing the feature on its respective platforms.
The Dark Mode, as the name suggests, essentially allows iPhone users to change the background to a darker version. The feature can either be set to be activated for a specific time during the day or turned on permanently. It is not only easier on the eyes but there were also claims that it extends the phone's battery life so YouTube channel PhoneBuff decided to run a test. Using an iPhone XS as its test subject, the folks at PhoneBuff used robotic arms to do various things that users would normally do in both Light Mode as well as Dark Mode.
The tasks included using the Messages app, navigating on Google Maps, scrolling through Twitter, watching videos on YouTube, and more. Each of these tasks was performed and repeated for two hours each, and the drop in battery life was recorded. Although the testing was carried out in a controlled environment with only apps that currently include support for dark mode on iOS, the end result was quite impressive.
The test found that the device consumed less juice in Dark Mode as opposed to the Light Mode. When the iPhone XS ran out of battery in Light Mode, the iPhone XS in Dark Mode still had 30 per cent battery life remaining. PhoneBuff pointed out that the test was conducted with the displays set to a brightness of 200 units. This means there might be some differences depending on the brightness level you use, but in all scenarios, the device in Dark Mode emerged as the clear winner.
Another important detail to note is that the Dark Mode is more effective in devices that have OLED displays such as the iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone 11 pro. However, the iPhone XR or iPhone 11 do not fall within this category.
