From feature phones to smart phones, there are many designs cut by manufacturers. For example, a physical keyboard, such as a removable battery, and an extremely advanced 3.5mm headphone jack.
But what I miss most is the breathing light on my mobile phone. The design of the breathing light is not beautiful, it was an important factor when I bought the machine. But today's smart phones, there are few breathing light designs.
▲ Meizu's "small dot", very classic breathing light design
There are not a few people who are obsessed with breathing light like me. On forums such as Tieba and Zhihu , many users wondered why more and more manufacturers have discarded the design of the breathing light. It is obvious that the breathing light is so beautiful and practical.
▲ Zhihu's question about breathing light
Some friends with strong hands-on ability even modified their mobile phones with breathing light, showing their obsession with breathing light.
▲But it is not recommended to do so, it will increase the risk of water and dust in the phone.
The breathing light was once a trend indicator
The genius who first integrated the breathing light into the mobile phone is no longer available. However, the earliest breathing light was at best an indicator light. When a text message or call is received, the indicator light of the mobile phone changes color or flashes at a fixed frequency to remind the owner.
▲ Picture from: gadgets
The breathing light we usually talk about,Mostly it refers to the light that can change from bright to dark, and is as soft as breathing. In the era of clamshell mobile phones, beautiful breathing lights are a weighted score.
For example, BBK’s bubble mobile phone (i508) has a breathing light hidden under the "bubble" on side A. When users play music, receive text messages or phone calls, the corresponding "bubbles" will have a breathing effect, which is very beautiful.
In my mind, the most beautiful flip phone with breathing light is LG's "dessert" series. It has a variety of patterns built in, and users can DIY the style and color of the breathing light to express their mood and state.
And the breathing lamp is not only a decorative element, but also a medium for users to view information such as time and weather. Users do not need to turn on the phone, they can know whether there is any information, call, and the current time through the breathing light, which is extremely convenient.
Some flip phones also integrate the breathing light in the button area, which is more for lighting and decoration functions.
When it comes to breathing lights, there may be many friends who will first think of the more rugged "marquee lantern". Before 2010, the standard equipment of the "spiritual guy" included not only tight trousers, pointed leather shoes, but also a "flashing blind" marquee mobile phone.
This kind of mobile phone has one thing in common, that is, the frame is very wide and the body is very thick. So manufacturers have room to put enough lamp beads to achieve all kinds of exaggerated lighting effects.
When the DJ dance music is played, the marquee of the mobile phone will flash with the rhythm.It is simply a mobile nightclub.
full screen , so that the breathing light has nowhere to settle
"Prosperity must decline" may be an ironclad spell.
When smart phones appeared, manufacturers began to pursue large screens, light and thin. All kinds of mobile phones have become straight screens. This change in form has brought some changes to consumers' habits. When you need to view information, you only need to tap the screen once or pick up the phone to wake up the screen, and the information notifications are clear at a glance.
▲ Picture from: lvivity
Therefore, the breathing light that was once regarded as a mobile phone message indicator is much weaker in functionality. Regarding the huge space inside the mobile phone, the designer reasonably lowered the priority of the breathing light.
During this period, the breathing light degenerates into a small light spot. Most are placed next to the front lens or earpiece, which will flicker or change color when there is information.
▲ Picture from: Jifeng Forum
Another consideration in this design is that there are more notifications in the era of smart phones than in the era of feature phones. If the design of the breathing light is too complicated, and the message notification is so frequent, it will affect the battery life of the mobile phone.
But this simple and rude design is really not aesthetic. Some manufacturers gave different answers, such as Meizu, Nubia and other manufacturers, which integrate the breathing light and the Home button, which looks elegant and delicate.
▲ Meizu MX3. Picture from: androidauthority
The breathing light of MOTO XT615 is placed in the lower left corner of the navigation bar.Presented in the form of a light strip.
▲ Picture from: hard-resets
LG Optimus G Pro integrates the breathing light around the Home button, and the light color can also be adjusted. Some netizens said, "After using it, I don't feel that I will love a mobile phone without a breathing light anymore."
OPPO installed a curved breathing light belt on the chin of Find 7. When the light is on, it seems to be smiling, very healing.
Sony is even better at "playing with lights". For example, the breathing light of st18i, perfectly integrated with the function keys, is very sexy.
Sony's next Lt26i, can be said to push the design aesthetics of the breathing light to a new level. When there is a notification, the breathing light in the transparent belt of Lingrui will light up, which looks dreamy and futuristic.
What's amazing is that this beautiful design has not been passed on to future generations of models, and it has become a problem for many fans.
With the "screen-to-body ratio" and "full screen" becoming a hot topic among manufacturers, the position of the breathing light also allows more important front lenses and various sensors. It is even harder for us to see a new machine with a breathing light.
Some mobile phones that still insist on the design of breathing light,It will also be used as a selling point for publicity. For example, Redmi K30 Pro, although it adopts a full-screen design, it does not give up the breathing light, but integrates it on the lifting camera element.
all said that "RGB lights are the romance of gaming." Some gaming phones also have beautiful breathing lights on the back. For example, Black Shark, ROG, etc., will show brilliant light effects during the game. This may be a group of manufacturers that pay the most attention to lighting effects in the current smart phone industry.
The "reincarnation" of the breathing lamp
Even with the arrival of the full screen, the breathing lamp has nowhere to settle. But after OLED screens are increasingly used in mobile phones, the function of on-screen display (AOD) has also become popular, like the "reincarnation" of breathing lights.
This is mainly due to the self-luminous characteristics of OLED panels. Each pixel can emit light independently, so the screen display can light up only part of the screen and keep the rest of the area off, so as to ensure that the power consumption is within a certain range and will not significantly affect the battery life of the phone.
▲ Picture from: xda-developers
As we mentioned above, the main function of the breathing light is to remind and visually decorate. And users can also glance at the time, date, power, and information notifications through AOD when the mobile phone is on the screen.
In addition, some AOD designs are getting more and more beautiful, which not only play a time and information prompt function, but also play a decorative role to a certain extent. Like the "Smart Screen" in Huawei EMUI 11,When the user looks at the mobile phone, the deer on the AOD screen will also turn his head to look at the user, enhancing the interactivity.
And more and more mobile phones begin to support the light effect of message notification. For example, when you receive a text message or WeChat, both sides of the screen will light up, and the color, width, and dynamic effects can be customized. This kind of light effect is especially suitable for mobile phones with curved screens. When the light effects on both sides are on, the sense of technology is full.
▲ OnePlus on the left; vivo
Some models also have creatively designed music atmosphere light effects. For example, in the vivo X60 series, when music is playing and the screen is locked, there will be visual sound waves on both sides of the screen, which dance with the rhythm of the music.
These special features developed based on OLED screens, let the breathing light return in another way, but also relieve those users who love breathing light.
In fact, the fundamental reason why people miss the breathing light is not to miss its function and style, but to miss the age when the mobile phone with the breathing light was used. Perhaps I used the money I saved for a long time to buy a mobile phone of my choice, and that mobile phone happened to have a breathing light, so the breathing light became a carrier, entrusting the emotions and memories of that era.
When the wheels of technology are rolling forward, occasionally stopping to review those things that once brought us freshness but are now fading, it is a unique charm.
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