Does night mode on the computer or phone already provide energy consumption?Palestine weather
With your phone or laptop running out of charge, you might be quick to switch to night mode thinking it's more energy efficient and better for extending battery life. Is your belief correct?
The answer to this question depends on the type of monitor you are using. So before going too far with the answer, let's quickly review how different screens work, and the energy-saving properties that depend on them.
LCD screen
Liquid crystal display (LCD) screens consist of a multi-layer assembly. The first layer is the backlight, which is responsible for providing illumination to the display.
This layer consists of an array of cold cathode fluorescent tubes (CCFLs) that fluoresce at a constant intensity when turned on.
The following layers consist of a polarizer and a crystalline liquid. The polarizer and the liquid crystal are surrounded by electrodes on both sides.
The amount of light passing through the polarizer and the crystalline layer can be controlled by applying a voltage to the electrodes. The crystals reorient themselves according to the electric field and some of the light is polarized. Varying voltage levels change the orientation of the crystal, which changes the polarization of the light, which subsequently changes the amount of light that passes through the polarizers on the display.
LED screen
LED screens have only one difference from LCD screens, and that is the backlight.
Instead of having CCFLs, the backlight consists of multiple LEDs per pixel (generally three LEDs per pixel, one red, one green, and one blue).
These LEDs are controlled by a complex circuit that allows selective coloring and illumination of each pixel.
Brightness is controlled by liquid crystals and polarizers in the same way as in LCD screens.
OLED Display - Most Energy Efficient Night Mode
OLED displays are the latest in technology.
Unlike LCD / LED screens, where pixels require a backlight, OLED screens use composite organic semiconductors that emit visible light when an electric current is passed.
These OLEDs are so small that individual pixels can be lit directly, eliminating the need for a backlight and LCD panel.
Night mode power consumption
Night mode works differently on different displays. LCD-LED screens use a backlight that shines at a constant intensity.
To darken a spot, an electric current manipulates the crystals so that the light is blocked, and it requires energy.
OLED screens, on the other hand, implement dark mode simply by turning off selected OLEDs, which saves electricity.
This means that dark mode on OLED screens saves electricity, but this is not necessarily true of LCD-LED screens.
Dark mode obviously saves power, but only on OLED devices. This is because the creation of OLED displays such that dark mode does not require power to block the light by manipulating the crystals, as it does in LCD-LED displays.
Alternatively, individual pixels can be turned off, creating points that are dark enough and only the required pixels are lit.
In other words, you did the right thing by turning on dark mode to save power when your computer was running low!