The Always On mode (or always-on display) which shows various notifications and updates even when the screen is locked, is of course not a new invention at all: very similar ideas were already seen in Android devices about a decade ago. However, the one that Apple incorporated in the iPhone 14 Pro models is still a novelty. If not the idea itself, at least in the way Apple managed to implement it, then as of today it is quite possible that this is the most advanced Always On display on the market.
Most Android devices equipped with an always-on display do so using an OLED screen, which is capable of completely turning off unused pixels. Thus, while an alert is displayed on the screen, you can activate only the necessary pixels and thus not cause too much waste of energy. The iPhone 14 Pro devices also include an OLED screen, but in addition to that, the device is able to precisely control the refresh rate, from a maximum of 120 Hz to a minimum of only 1 Hz (that is, one screen refresh per second).
This is how Apple manages to display the lock screen of the device in its entirety on the screen, including the background image and the configured widgets. Only the brightness level is reduced, along with slight changes to the image itself (which are performed automatically) so that it remains relatively clear in black and white tones. This is a completely different approach than most lock screens, which are content with a much more minimalistic design: usually just the last notification, alongside a few icons for apps.
There are also those who believe that Apple’s solution suffers from “oversophistication”: the technology is impressive, but in fact it would have been better for the user if the lock screen had kept a simple and clear appearance, highlighting every new notification and filtering out unnecessary noises. If this criticism is heard by the users even after the launch of the device, Apple may of course change the design of the lock screen in the future through software updates, although models older than the iPhone 14 Pro do not support the technology according to its claim and therefore there the operating system will add to completely darken the screen while the device locked up.