Introduced in 2016 with the Galaxy S7, Samsung’s always-on display (AOD) feature has become a core aspect of modern smartphones. Despite being initially pioneered by Nokia long before, the technology gained traction within Samsung’s offerings and later extended to other brands, including Apple, which introduced it with the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022. This convenient function enables users to quickly view notifications and the time without activating their devices fully.
The AOD feature utilizes OLED display capabilities, allowing select pixels to remain lit while conserving battery. Research indicates that AOD impacts battery life significantly. A recent study found that enabling AOD can reduce battery longevity to about 136 hours from 417 hours in idle mode for the Galaxy S22 Ultra—translating to roughly 10% to 15% of battery consumption throughout the day.
AOD’s Battery Impact: A Closer Look
Originally, it was claimed that AOD would consume less than 1% of battery per hour. However, recent results show that even with display technology improvements, the power consumption remains near that rate. Both the Galaxy S7 Edge and the Galaxy S22 Ultra recorded similar power longevity, approximately 130 hours, despite advancements in display technology.
User experiences can vary widely and complicate comparisons, as factors like network reception often have a larger impact on battery performance than display functionality. For instance, the modem typically consumes twice as much power compared to the display itself, emphasizing that cellular connectivity plays a critical role in battery life.
Implications for Budget-Friendly Options
The battery usage of the AOD feature in Samsung’s budget-friendly A-series phones hasn’t been extensively tested, but findings suggest that AOD consumption is around 1% per hour for devices like the Galaxy A5. User opinions about the Galaxy A54 indicate a consistent 1% per hour power draw as well.
Enabling AOD appears to consume a considerable portion of daily battery life—between 10% and 15% during an average workday across both high-end S-series and lower-cost A-series devices. Resolution differences help explain why both series exhibit similar battery consumption rates, with higher resolution displays drawing more power.
If AOD drains your battery excessively, consider adjusting settings to limit its display to when the device is tapped or moved. This change can drastically reduce power consumption.