The Pros and Cons of Always on Display: Is it Worth it?
What you gain and give up with a screen that stays lit
Always on display (AOD) is a feature on many smartphones that keeps part of the screen active while the phone is locked. The time, the date, your notifications, and sometimes more stay in view, so you don't have to unlock the phone to see them.
That convenience has a price, and whether it's worth paying depends on how you use your phone.
Pros
These are the main reasons people leave it switched on.
Convenient access to information
The time, the date, and your notifications sit on the screen while the phone stays locked. You see them at a glance, so there's no need to keep waking the phone just to check whether anything important has come in. For quick updates and alerts, that is usually all you need.
Help with staying organized
Glancing at a notification, a reminder, or the next calendar event takes a second and doesn't pull you out of what you're doing. Some people find this helps them stay organized and on schedule through the day, since the time and their plans are always one look away. Whether it really makes you more productive probably depends on how you work.
Personalization
Most phones that offer AOD let you adjust it. You can usually pick a clock style, add a personal image, or choose which information shows up, so the idle screen shows what you actually want to see. The options differ from one phone to the next.
Less wear on physical buttons
Because the basics are already visible, you press the power button far less often to wake the phone. Fewer presses mean less wear on the physical buttons. In theory that helps those parts last longer and could save you a repair in the long run, though how much it matters will vary from phone to phone.
Instant notification awareness
Messages and alerts show up the moment they arrive, and you don't have to touch the phone to see them. That helps when you need to respond quickly. It also helps in situations where picking up the phone every few minutes would be awkward or simply impractical.
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Cons
And these are the reasons some people turn it off again.
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Risk of screen burn-in
On some screen types, older OLED panels in particular, a static image shown for long stretches can leave a faint trace behind. Since AOD tends to show the same clock and icons in the same place for hours, extended use carries some risk of burn-in, which appears as image retention over time.
Battery consumption
Keeping part of the screen lit all the time costs power. Phones are built to keep that cost low, yet with AOD switched on you may still notice the battery running down sooner, especially on a phone with a smaller battery. How noticeable it is depends on the device.
Privacy concerns
Anyone close to you can read what appears on a locked screen, including message previews or details from your calendar. The display doesn't know who is looking, so a preview meant for you can just as easily be read by the person next to you. In public places that can be a real concern, particularly for notifications you'd rather keep to yourself.
Wear on the screen
Running the screen continuously may wear it down over time. Pixels can age unevenly, and overall brightness can drop, both of which make the picture look worse. This goes beyond burn-in and affects the screen as a whole. If it gets bad enough, you may face a repair or a replacement screen, and neither is cheap.
Distraction
Having information always in view cuts both ways. A screen that keeps showing new updates can pull your attention away, which is a problem wherever you want quiet or discretion. For some people the steady presence of notifications ends up hurting focus and productivity, the very thing AOD is supposed to help with.
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Conclusion
If you check your phone often for the time or messages and your battery comfortably lasts the day, AOD is probably worth trying. If battery life is already tight, your phone has an older OLED screen, or it often lies face up in public, switching it off is the safer choice. It's only a setting, so you can try it for a week and change your mind.
What do you think?
Do you think the pros outweigh the cons?
