5 ms·

> Android’s new Dark theme uses true black to keep your battery alive longer. None of the screenshots around the caption seem to use "true black", though!

seanmcdirmid 7y ago
How could you even tell without an organic LED screen?
- SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
  While you can't tell it's "true" black without an OLED, it's clearly a dark grey.
  - cosarara 7y ago
    The frame of the phone is darker, and even that is not #000. The web page background is, though.
- sp332 7y ago
  With a photo editor. #000000 or bust!
readams 7y ago
Note that "true black" saves almost no additional power on an OLED vs a dark grey.
- dartdartdart1 7y ago
  "almost"
- Someone1234 7y ago
  Indeed. But it does look nicer/work better for what black themes are actually good at: Using at night. So while the additional battery savings between "true black" and grey are within the margin of error, the battery benefits remain for both and the non-battery benefits remain for our eyes.
  - mopay 7y ago
    Feels like "dark mode" is an advertisement gimmick more than a useful feature for some products now.
    - bmurphy1976 7y ago
      No way, dark mode is great. Combine it with an internet browser that has a night mode (Samsung's fork of Chrome) and the phones are significantly more pleasant to use at night.
      - mopay 7y ago
        Dark mode is only great if absolutely every single website and app you use support it, and you are never shown bright images ever, because then your eyes explode. This is, it's useless.
        Someone1234 7y ago
        That's a fallacious argument. Imperfect solutions can still be superior to the unmitigated problem, and they are in this case. You're essentially arguing that unless the solution is perfect, they shouldn't even try, and I'd point out you haven't justified or even tried to justify that black or white point of view.
        mopay 7y ago
        In this case, yes. I think it's better to use light apps at a low brightness level than to use dark apps that might or might not blast a white screen at you. I think that flash of light is terrible for your eyesight, much worse than constant light apps.
        bdefore 7y ago
        I'm inclined to agree with you that sustained periods of darkness that include rapid change of light level may be less healthy for the eyes than consistent levels of overall brighter display with such shocks, but I'd like to see some research to back it up.
- windsurfer 7y ago
  Do you happen to have a source? I am having trouble finding a source online for this information.
  - readams 7y ago
    Here's one source at least: https://www.xda-developers.com/amoled-black-vs-gray-dark-mode/ https://www.xda-developers.com/amoled-black-vs-gray-dark-mod...
frittig 7y ago
I wonder if any of the Google apps will support a dark mode. Maps / Gmail are harder to use with all of the white
- eco 7y ago
  Many Google apps already do. It was weird during the Android 10 Beta because Google was releasing apps with partial support for Dark mode which made them hard to use. You'd sometimes get dark grey text on black background, for instance.
  - Andrex 7y ago
    Almost like it was a beta... :P
- ac29 7y ago
  Neither Maps or Gmail is using Dark Mode for me on the Pixel I updated this morning. Hopefully it'll be added in an update.
  - bdefore 7y ago
    Nor Hangouts or Play Store. Photos, Phone, Fit, Settings and notifications do. Happy to see movement and hopefully the stragglers get on board soon.
  - Andrex 7y ago
    Both apps' dark modes are shown in screenshots on the official Android 10 page. https://9to5google.com/2019/09/03/gmail-dark-mode-android-tease-assistant-maps/ https://9to5google.com/2019/09/03/gmail-dark-mode-android-te... Probably not far off.
eco 7y ago
They aren't on those particular screenshots for some reason but are on the actual phone. I just took my own screenshot and it is indeed #000000.

seanmcdirmid 7y ago

How could you even tell without an organic LED screen?

SketchySeaBeast 7y ago
While you can't tell it's "true" black without an OLED, it's clearly a dark grey.
- cosarara 7y ago
  The frame of the phone is darker, and even that is not #000. The web page background is, though.
sp332 7y ago
With a photo editor. #000000 or bust!

readams 7y ago

Note that "true black" saves almost no additional power on an OLED vs a dark grey.

dartdartdart1 7y ago
"almost"
Someone1234 7y ago
Indeed. But it does look nicer/work better for what black themes are actually good at: Using at night. So while the additional battery savings between "true black" and grey are within the margin of error, the battery benefits remain for both and the non-battery benefits remain for our eyes.
- mopay 7y ago
  Feels like "dark mode" is an advertisement gimmick more than a useful feature for some products now.
  - bmurphy1976 7y ago
    No way, dark mode is great. Combine it with an internet browser that has a night mode (Samsung's fork of Chrome) and the phones are significantly more pleasant to use at night.
    - mopay 7y ago
      Dark mode is only great if absolutely every single website and app you use support it, and you are never shown bright images ever, because then your eyes explode. This is, it's useless.
      - Someone1234 7y ago
        That's a fallacious argument. Imperfect solutions can still be superior to the unmitigated problem, and they are in this case. You're essentially arguing that unless the solution is perfect, they shouldn't even try, and I'd point out you haven't justified or even tried to justify that black or white point of view.
        mopay 7y ago
        In this case, yes. I think it's better to use light apps at a low brightness level than to use dark apps that might or might not blast a white screen at you. I think that flash of light is terrible for your eyesight, much worse than constant light apps.
        bdefore 7y ago
        I'm inclined to agree with you that sustained periods of darkness that include rapid change of light level may be less healthy for the eyes than consistent levels of overall brighter display with such shocks, but I'd like to see some research to back it up.
windsurfer 7y ago
Do you happen to have a source? I am having trouble finding a source online for this information.
- readams 7y ago
  Here's one source at least: https://www.xda-developers.com/amoled-black-vs-gray-dark-mode/ https://www.xda-developers.com/amoled-black-vs-gray-dark-mod...

frittig 7y ago

I wonder if any of the Google apps will support a dark mode. Maps / Gmail are harder to use with all of the white

eco 7y ago
Many Google apps already do. It was weird during the Android 10 Beta because Google was releasing apps with partial support for Dark mode which made them hard to use. You'd sometimes get dark grey text on black background, for instance.
- Andrex 7y ago
  Almost like it was a beta... :P
ac29 7y ago
Neither Maps or Gmail is using Dark Mode for me on the Pixel I updated this morning. Hopefully it'll be added in an update.
- bdefore 7y ago
  Nor Hangouts or Play Store. Photos, Phone, Fit, Settings and notifications do. Happy to see movement and hopefully the stragglers get on board soon.
- Andrex 7y ago
  Both apps' dark modes are shown in screenshots on the official Android 10 page. https://9to5google.com/2019/09/03/gmail-dark-mode-android-tease-assistant-maps/ https://9to5google.com/2019/09/03/gmail-dark-mode-android-te... Probably not far off.

eco 7y ago

They aren't on those particular screenshots for some reason but are on the actual phone. I just took my own screenshot and it is indeed #000000.