Apple is rumored to be developing a black appearance for its iPhone and iPad operating system, according to evidence produced by jailbreak developer Andy Wiik. He is the same developer who initially found iOS 10 Dark Mode references in the Messages app.
Dark Mode goes well with OLED
Now Wiik has provided some screenshots clearly showing the iOS 10 Simulator presenting the Settings app in a dark interface style that has black cell backgrounds with white text, reports 9to5 Mac. The developer has captured the screenshots from the iOS 10 Simulator, where injecting codes and discovering unfinished flags and behavior like this Dark Mode interface style is easier.
Ahead of WWDC, there were rumors that Apple was working on a Dark Mode for iOS 10, but the iPhone maker did not announce any such plans at the conference. It did unveil Dark Mode for tvOS on Apple TV, however. For a long time, users have been demanding Dark Mode, a feature that connects well with OLED screen technology.
It is expected that Apple’s 2017 iPhone will feature an OLED display for the first time. Later this year, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 7, which will supposedly look very similar to the iPhone 6s and be equipped with LCD technology. OLED screens are well-suited for dark UIs because of their high contrast ratios, and pixels are also more power-efficient at displaying dark colors.
The bright and vivid nature of OLED screens leads to a loss of battery life, but “Dark Mode” will make the experience pleasant and also help keep battery life issues at bay.
Dark Mode with Apple’s iOS 11 or iOS 10?
It would be a smart move from Apple to eventually incorporate Dark Mode into iOS, even if it does not do so this year. If the iPhone maker opts to announce the new theme ahead of new hardware, developers will have ample time to update their apps, but it seems Apple has different plans.
The work-in-progress Dark Mode that Wiik found will probably be publicly released with iOS 11. Things like a Siri SDK for third-party apps, lock screen widgets, a revamped Apple Music app, and many new iMessage features such as stickers and bubble effects are featured in iOS 10, which will be shipped to the public this fall. These updates to iOS 10 will hopefully make the iPhone 7 less boring.
Apple’s iPhone 7 is expected to be upgraded on several fronts and boast the latest specs with an A10 chip, better camera and more RAM. Also Apple is expected to do away with the 3.5mm headphone jack and use a lightning port instead. However, there won’t be any changes to the overall look of the device, which is expected to retain the shape of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
