This is the secret sauce. Dark themes were popular for AMOLED screens (which save power by turning off black pixels), but most classic Nokias used . On LCDs, a white or bright background actually requires less power backlight modulation than complex dark gradients. Light.nth themes maximize reflectivity and minimize pixel switching, often extending battery life by 10-15%.
The significance of the Light.th theme lies in the culture of personalization it fostered.