Certain types of modern displays use less power when displaying a black or dark background, including the technology used in the Apple Watch. It's all thanks to the wonders of OLED and self-emitting screen technology.
Why do dark themes consume less energy?
Apple opted for OLED display technology for the Apple Watch from the very first model. Unlike traditional LCD displays with LED lighting, OLED is a self-emitting technology. That means there is no need for backlighting as each pixel generates its own light..
This enables pixel-perfect black and light control. To show pure black, pixels just turn off. This consumes no power and makes the rest of the watch face stand out against the deep black background..
Watch faces that use mostly dark or black items use less energy than a watch face with lots of bright white or colorful items.. The brighter a pixel is, more energy consumes. If you can replace a bright solid color background with a black one, the screen will consume less power because there are more pixels in the state “off”.
It's hard to tell by how many this will affect battery usage, so the best way to find out is to try it yourself. If your Apple Watch is running out of battery many times, a darker background might make a bit of a difference. It is important to highlight try. If you have a solid battery, it is possible that you do not notice the difference.
Normally lit LCD screens do not turn off the backlight when displaying black or dark colors. Instead, “they block” backlighting with varying degrees of success. This not only necessitates the use of an always-on backlight, it also makes blacks look washed out.
Some iPhones may also benefit
It's not just your Apple Watch that could see a battery surge from self-emitting display technology.. Some of the high-end iPhones of recent years also have OLED screens.
If you have an iPhone X, iPhone XS o XS Max, iPhone 11 Pro o Pro Max, or any iPhone model 12 (Pro or other), your device uses an OLED display. If you want to squeeze a bit more of your iPhone's battery extension, you might want to determine a dark background and enable dark mode.
RELATED: 8 tips to save battery on your iPhone
Try switching to a dark background today
If you have a less than ideal battery extension on your Apple Watch, then a dark background might help, especially if you have an Apple Watch with an always-on display like a Series 5 o Series 6.
Learn how to change your watch face or install someone else's Apple Watch face.
RELATED: How to disable the always-on display of the Apple Watch
