Tests try to figure out how beneficial dark theme is for battery life
It is common knowledge that OLED screens draw less power when displaying dark backgrounds. The most effective is an all-black background, but according to a test two years ago, the difference between a black and dark gray background is negligible.
A new test from Purdue University tries to figure out how much a dark system theme helps on Android phones with OLED displays, compared to a light system theme. Four phones were used in the test, which was conducted in a range of Google apps.
In short, the test claims that dark theme reduced power consumption by between 3-9% when brightness was around 30-50%. At the highest brightness, dark theme gave a greater result, with a reduction in power consumption of up to 47%.
Since the brightness is primarily maximized outdoors, according to the test, users have the most to gain in terms of energy by using a dark theme during the day. Do you switch between dark and light theme based on the time of day, or do you use dark theme all the time?
