Mobile Display Types
IPS LCD (In- Plane Switching Liquid Crystal Display): The IPS LCD provides an enhanced viewing experience due to it’s ability to have better color reproduction and a better range of angles than the earlier versions of LCD screens.
OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode): Consists of organic materials that light up when electricity is run through them thus allowing each pixel to create light on its own.
Super AMOLED (Super Active-Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode): Contains an integrated touch solution inbuilt into it and is mostly manufactured by Samsung, thus making it an improved version of OLED.
IPS LCD
Advantages
• Natural Colors – This panel is highly suitable for everyday use as it provides accurate color reproduction.
• Brightness – This panel can easily be used outdoors thanks to its high brightness ratio.
• Cost-Effective – They are cheaper to manufacture than both OLED and Super Amoled Screens.
• Durability – Unlike the prior models of OLEDs, these are more durable when put under constant use as the chances of burnin are low.
Disadvantages
• Contrast Ratio – Backlit displays use less technology and therefore use Arrays to create the colors which causes the blacks to look a little gray.
• Power Efficiency – In order to achieve a vivid image the panels have to be constantly lit up which can consume extra power to run the screen.
• Thickness: Have to use Backlight layers which unfortunately add thickness to the screens.
OLED
Advantages
• Deep Blacks – The pixels are able to be switched off individually which removes the chances of any light bleeding into a dark area, thus achieving a ratio that may seem impossible to reach.
• Energy Efficiency – When showing darker images they require less power to produce images.
• Traditional LCDs require backlighting, and since it is missing on AMOLEDs, we can avoid cost of a backlight and make foldable devices. • Additional benefit of AMOLEDs is that they are capable of producing much vivid colors that go above expectations of customers.
While there are some benefits to it, there are also certain issues which come with AMOLEDs that deserve to be highlighted: • When watching a video with static images or logos, it can get permanently imprinted over time. • Another issue with AMOLEDs is the manufacturing cost. They tend to be expensive to produce as compared to IPS LCDs. • And Finally, there is the issue of brightness levels when in direct sunlight. They may not be at par with an IPS LCD.
Super AMOLED Advantages • This allows the screen to be responsive as well as be a little sleek as it combines touchscreen and display outside the sensor due to the touch layer being under the display layer. • With reduced reflections and enhanced brightness, the visibility is better in bright sunlight as well. • AMOLED consumes more power than OLED due to certain reasons but when prevailing dark modes in graphics, an AMOLED will be able to consume less power. • But besides all its flaws, the AMOLEDs can produce deeper blacks and richer colors than regular OLEDS. Disadvantages • Users requiring accurate representations of colors may sometimes not like the fact that AMOLEDs tend to saturate colors and make them look unrealistic. • As mentioned before, the added cost of producing standard OLED screens is significantly higher than making IPS LCD screens. • The drawback remains: it still suffers from some of the issues OLED screens face such as screen burn in, when left for extended periods of time.
Big Differences Between IPS LCD, OLED, and Super AMOLED Feature IPS LCD OLED Super AMOLED Backlight Yes (Always On) No No Black Levels Grayish Blacks True Blacks True Blacks Power Efficiency Higher Power Usage Energy Efficient (Dark Modes) Most Efficient
Brightness Brighter when in the Sun Moderate Bright & with focus for Sunlight Color Accuracy Colors appear natural to me Strong Deep colors Even much More Deep saturated Thickness Thicker because of Backlight Thin Thinnest possible Cost Not so Costly Expensive Most costly Burn-in Risk None Yes Yes
Conclusion IPS LCD is best suited for economical portable devices which require low color saturation and strength and good brightness durability. OLED is best for devices which are at the higher range and require good saturation and bright color with rich blacks. Super AMOLED is best suited for flagship smartphones requiring more bright displays with touch integrated into the display and lower battery consumption