always on display

[johnnyshinta]

Who uses it and who doesn't? I personally turned it off. While I like that it shows the time and battery without having to turn the phone on, I don't find it as useful as it only shows Samsung apps like messages and phone.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[highroller038]

I would like the ability to prevent my screen from going to sleep when I have a video paused in YouTube or Plex. Is there a simple way to do that?

 

[SpookDroid]

Until they add actual notification support and not just a glorified clock, I'll keep it turned off. I already have an Android Wear watch that does that and way more, thanks!

Also, why on Earth don't they add a clock to the side panel notification preview? Or the 'night clock'

 

[Malek J]

Who uses it and who doesn't? I personally turned it off. While I like that it shows the time and battery without having to turn the phone on, I don't find it as useful as it only shows Samsung apps like messages and phone.

Posted via the Android Central App

I just started using it and I like it just for the time. Functionality will improve with the next updates for now it's better than nothing.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[t0ked]

I use it. Actually displays message notifications from the Verizon messages+ app which i use exclusively. It does prevent me from turning on my phone all the time. Not as useful as the he moto active display i had on my previous phone but still OK.

 

[LeoRex]

I left it enabled on my wife's S7... she has a wallet/portfolio case, and AOD turns itself off when the prox detects that the screen is covered.... so 99% of the time, it's not running. My wife says she likes that she can open the case and see the time.

Other than that, Samsung needs to enhance it. She uses none of Samsung's built in junk.... so the notification aspect of the feature is all but useless. If they beefed it up a bit and had it show the full set of notifications or have it pulse, like the Nexus's Ambient Display or Moto Display, maybe it'd be different. As it is now, it'd make for a decent bedside clock... a function that, frankly, could be better served by an cheapo little $20 alarm clock and not a $700+ smartphone.

 

[Dan TheMan86]

With the recent updates to it, you're more likely to get screen burn in as well, since it only moves a pixel at a time. News flash: the font is thicker that one pixel wide!! lol

 

[SpookDroid]

With the recent updates to it, you're more likely to get screen burn in as well, since it only moves a pixel at a time. News flash: the font is thicker that one pixel wide!! lol

It's almost as if they are actively trying to lure people away from it.

 

[johnnyshinta]

Is burn in really a concern? That seems like a huge flaw.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[SpookDroid]

Is burn in really a concern? That seems like a huge flaw.

Posted via the Android Central App

It's the kind of thing people like to go nuts over. Burn-in will always be a concern in LCD/LED panels (technically not burn-in, but image retention), but I'd say that unless you keep the same image for several hours (like retailers do if they keep the screen on for too long) there MIGHT be some 'burn in' in the panel. But with normal use, unless you really never turn your screen on at all, I wouldn't be worried that the AOD will burn in the image.

That being said, Sammy didn't make things better by making the image move 1 pixel per minute. Yes, the minute number changes every minute, and the hour every hour, but still. Not the smartest move.

 

[anon(9408097)]

Got the S7 today. Loving it. Worried about some things though.

Anyways. I came from the S6 edge and I turned off the always on display immediately. I don't know it felt weird seeing the screen always on I think that was the only reason why I turned it off I didn't give it a chance to let it become not weird.

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[Tim1954]

I use it. It's a clock, i don't have to light up the whole screen to check the time. It dims in the dark so it's never too bright, and it goes off when face down or in my pocket... love it! Love marshmallow!!

 

[ssj100]

That being said, Sammy didn't make things better by making the image move 1 pixel per minute. Yes, the minute number changes every minute, and the hour every hour, but still. Not the smartest move.

Actually, "Sammy" obviously listened to people complaining about the AOD being distracting by moving so much every minute - for example, if you've got the phone on a table in front/beside you (in your field of view) and you're focusing on something else (say a book or your computer screen), almost everyone with normal peripheral vision would get distracted every time the clock moves. By "distracted", I mean it will cause you to spontaneously glance at the phone, as your brain will be subconsciously curious at the movement (of the clock).

By only moving an imperceptible amount every minute and making bigger jumps every 30-60 minutes, it appears to have solved the above issue, while also preventing screen burn in. If the screen burns in with the above AOD behaviour, then it would burn in with many other activities (including playing long games of chess or studying a textbook on the same page for 30-60 minute periods etc).

Anyway, I've been using AOD since I got the phone a month ago, and I'll report if I notice any screen burn in over the next few months!

EDIT: closely observed the pixel movements over the last 80 minutes or so. I can confirm that a big jump occurred after about 60 minutes. From 60 to 80 minutes, there appears to be enough movement so that the thickness of the individual numbers/characters essentially move to the extent that the numbers/characters are in a completely different position. That is, I would estimate that about every 20 minutes, there is enough movement so that the displayed numbers/characters are in completely different positions. I would think that this alone is enough to prevent screen burn in, as it would be ridiculous if burn in occurred due to the display being in the same position for only 20 minutes at a time. The big movements every 60 minutes probably isn't necessary, but I guess it doesn't hurt.

 

[Dan TheMan86]

Every single S6 and S7 at the AT&T store had image retention/burn in on the display models. And they were playing a display loop that changed the image on the screen every few seconds. Image retention is REAL on these phones, people. Just beware.

 

[LeoRex]

That is, I would estimate that about every 20 minutes, there is enough movement so that the displayed numbers/characters are in completely different positions. I would think that this alone is enough to prevent screen burn in, as it would be ridiculous if burn in occurred due to the display being in the same position for only 20 minutes at a time. The big movements every 60 minutes probably isn't necessary, but I guess it doesn't hurt.

Exactly. It doesn't take much... In fact, Samsung is kind of following the guidelines Google sends out to Smartwatch watchface devs... and it should avoid any long-term issues. I am not sure that the current duty cycle is for those OLED pixels these days, but it'll take quite a while for them to start to lose luminosity. I am sure Samsung has a metric somewhere showing how long it would take for AOD to cycle through all of its travels and return back to the 'original' starting point. I'm guessing it's pretty long.

Now, those display units in stores, the ones that are left on running some silly demo, at full brightness, 24x7... that's a different story. To put how abusive that practice is... Let's say you put an average of 4 hours of screen time on your phone a day. You would have to use your phone for 3 years to equal the usage that one of those poor floor models clocks in just one month. And you're mostly likely display a lot more varied information, at a bunch of different brightness levels. Safe to say that you should NEVER buy a demo unit, even one that might have only been out on the floor for a week.

Sorry for the tangent there...

 

[Dan TheMan86]

Don't they turn them off at night?

 

[johnnyshinta]

Don't they turn them off at night?

Doubtful

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Dan TheMan86]

I've walked past AT&T stores downtown at night and everything was off in there.

 

[johnnyshinta]

OK. Even taking that I to account it's that same images over and over again. I'm guessing regardless of the image changing if it's consistently lighting the same pixels over and over it'll still burn in

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[ssj100]

Every single S6 and S7 at the AT&T store had image retention/burn in on the display models. And they were playing a display loop that changed the image on the screen every few seconds. Image retention is REAL on these phones, people. Just beware.

Let's just see what happens in the next few months/years on these forums. If many people are reporting screen burn in from their real world usage (whether with AOD enabled or disabled), then we will have something more to talk about. I'll be sure to report any screen burn in.