14 DAY TRIAL // iOS 10 made its first public appearance at Apple’s WWDC conference on Monday, but contrary to what people expected, Apple didn’t say anything about a potential dark theme that could make its debut in the next iteration of the operating system.
And yet, it turns out that a dark theme is on its way to iOS 10, and the developer preview version that is already available for download comes with evidence in this regard.
The clock app that’s pre-installed in iOS and that allows users to configure world clocks, alarms, bedtime (starting with iOS 10), the stopwatch and a timer comes with its very own dark theme, which could be a sign that Apple is indeed working on bringing such a visual style in the rest of the operating system too.
First step towards the OLED screen?
Since this is just the very first developer preview, there’s still time for Apple to complete work on the dark theme, which should make its first appearance in the stable version due in the fall, most likely when the next-generation iPhone also sees daylight. Several public betas, the first of which is expected next month, could also bring more improvements in this direction.
The dark theme could also represent Apple’s first important step towards the introduction of an OLED screen, as a black background is more appropriate for this kind of technology, helping preserve battery life - this is one of the reasons the Apple Watch, which has an OLED screen, also comes with a dark theme for watchOS.
Rumor has it that Apple could make the switch from LCD to OLED for the 2017 iPhone at the earliest, and it does make sense. The company is celebrating iPhone’s 10th anniversary next year, and people with knowledge of the matter have hinted that a major overhaul of the device is expected, including a new look with no bezels and an all-screen front design that would incorporate front-facing elements too.