Is It True That Dark Mode Can Reduce Cell Phone Battery Consumption? This Is According To Researchers

Smartphone dark mode doesn't have much effect on battery consumption (AndroidResult)

JAKARTA – Many people think that the dark mode feature in cellphones can reduce battery consumption and can live longer. Is that right? Research conducted by a research team from Purdue University in the US revealed that dark mode did not extend battery power at all.

The researchers conducted trials on six popular Android applications on the Google Play Store, namely Google Maps, Google Phone, Google News, Google Calendar, Calculator, and YouTube. The tests were carried out on the Google Pixel 2, Pixel 3, and Pixel 5 smartphones, as well as the Moto Z3.

The research team used a tool called the Per-Frame OLED Power Profiler (PFOP). The device is claimed to be able to measure the power consumption of each pixel. They also analyzed the effect of dark mode on activity per minute when using a number of the apps mentioned above.

The research proves that most smartphone users prefer to turn on auto brightness on their phones. The screen brightness is around 30-40 percent when the phone is indoors.

Researchers found that dark mode with screen brightness between 30 and 50 percent was only able to save about 3 to 9 percent of battery power. However, the screen brightness automatically depends on the phone being used.

They also note that dark mode can only save a small fraction of battery power. Many cell phone users are not aware of this small difference. On the other hand, 100 percent brightness in bright mode which then switches to dark mode is claimed to save battery power of around 39-47 percent.

The study also proved that the battery power consumed by phones with OLED screens that use lower brightness levels in bright mode is the same as power consumption with high brightness levels in dark modes.

The research team explained that using the Google News app on Pixel 5 phones with dark mode in fact consumes the same power as when in light mode. That means that users who activate dark mode on their cellphones with the aim of extending battery power will not have much difference in battery consumption in light mode.

Although dark mode and light mode only have a small difference in terms of power consumption, dark mode is claimed to be more friendly to the eyes because it is easier for users to see.