Do you want to know what the "wow effect" is? Pick up at least one Samsung smartphone with an AMOLED display! And, if this is the most "WOW!" you will not break out, consider that the guys from Samsung did not work out their fees. So bright, so colorful, so attractive! Hands are reaching out to scroll sites, flip through the gallery, climb in applications and settings.
Is almost Samsung's branded display so good and what about IPS screens? They, of course, do not lead to wild delight at first glance, but the technology will be somewhat better than AMOLED.
Yes, familiarity with the latest Samsung gadgets is infuriating. And if you have not yet turned into a zombie, and have not gone to the cashier to lay out hard-earned money for a bright and contrasting image of a bunch of balloons on the mainscreen, all is not lost and there is something to talk about with you.
In fact, the selling brightness and contrast of AMOLED displays is not so perfect: a beautiful wrapper hides a couple of significant annoyances.
What is AMOLED? AMOLED -Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode, i.e. active matrix organic light emitting diodes. Light emitters in AMOLED displays are organic light emitting diodes, which are controlled by an active matrix of thin-film transistors (TFT).
Why AMOLED?
Firstly, AMOLEDs are incredibly contrasting screens, which IPS cannot boast of.
Secondly, thanks to the image transmission technology different from IPS, the AMOLED display can show a completely black color. Why?
IPS screens are illuminated, as a rule, from all sides, and the pixels in AMOLED glow on their own, so the manufacturer was able to perfect the transmission of black in them: when displaying a picture on such screens, pixels that transmit black color will not glow. In IPS screens, the entire picture is always highlighted, so it is impossible to achieve deep black transmission on them. The contrast of AMOLED displays thus becomes almost infinite.
The third advantage follows from the second, albeit a very controversial one: AMOLEDs, due to the selective backlighting of pixels, also claim selective efficiency in energy consumption. In other words: on dark scenes, the AMOLED screen wastes nothing! But, on the other hand, when it comes to displaying a bright picture, the cost-effectiveness of AMOLED technology can be called into question.
Fourth plus (-ik): AMOLED displays have a shorter touch response time than IPS displays. Those. Change of pictures on the screen should happen at lightning speed. In truth, AMOLEDs do work faster in this regard, but the speed difference is hardly perceptible.
By the way, in the Samsung Galaxy S4, the notorious reaction speed even became a problem: when you change the image (even with a banal transition from menu to menu), “loops” from the previous picture stretch across the screen. The manufacturer prefers not to answer questions about what to do with it and how to live further. Looks like it's all about the new Super AMOLED technology. Not that it would interfere very much, but it would be wrong to remain silent.
Fifth advantage: AMOLED is thinner, respectively, devices with such a display are lighter. The difference in the thickness of AMOLED and IPS is explained by the same backlight technology: the pixels in IPS still need to be backlit, and the backlight needs space in the case.
But, in fact, we are talking about a maximum of a hundred grams, therefore, if you don’t have a fad for the ultra-thinness of the gadget, you shouldn’t consider the fifth point as a significant advantage either.
The rich color gamut of AMOLED screens can be appreciated at least in the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy S4, as well as in the Galaxy Nexus.
What is IPS? IPS is a type of LCD monitor matrix, whose name stands for In-Plane Switching. The technology is named so because of the way the crystals are placed in the panel. IPS is distinguished by the fact that the crystals are located in the same plane parallel to the surface of the panel. This made it possible to obtain maximum viewing angles (up to 178 degrees).
Why IPS?
Firstly, despite the contrast of AMOLED, IPS screens convey colors much more accurately. If on AMOLED they can be unscrewed to completely unnatural shades, then IPS will give bright colors only when the real picture suggests it.
You can also set natural colors on AMOLED, but not without difficulty and special access to software settings. But if there are software settings for AMOLED, the matrix can compete with any modern technology. Well, almost anyone.
Secondly, IPS screens give perfect white, which cannot be achieved on AMOLED. This is not a trifle, as it may seem. Take at least the sad stories about the transfer of blue, yellow and pink shades of white by “amoleds”.
On the one hand, a custom software setting can put everything in its place, but it still won’t give you a good white AMOLED: if the color reproduction can still be adjusted, then whitening the device’s display will cost you a lot of effort.
Big plus number three: maintaining color reproduction in IPS is possible even with a sharp viewing angle. Colors on high-quality IPS almost do not degrade, no matter how you look at the screen.
Whoever says that all this is nit-picking, try to get together with a company of at least three people to watch a movie or photos: the picture will be visible to the person sitting in the center without distortion, but the colors to the right and left of him will give off yellow and blue, respectively.
IPS practically does not give angular distortion, and AMOLED, alas, does not indulge in such characteristics. Recall at least Sony Xperia Z, the screen of which spoiled the impressions of a, in principle, good device: a faded screen with low contrast and meager viewing angles.
AMOLEDs often sin by giving a natural color shift to the cold side. The non-standard layout of subpixels, moreover, leads to the departure of the image in different colors: depending on the angle at which you look at the screen, the picture may turn red or green.
Recall that most often one pixel is formed by three subpixels: red, green and blue (the so-called RGB layout).
AMOLED works on a different principle. These screens use a method of constructing an image in which the sub-pixels are aligned in a special way. For clarity, see the picture below. According to the standard, a pixel is formed by three RGB subpixels, and in AMOLED displays, subpixels can be arranged as RG-BG, and not as RGB-RGB in the conventional version. This technology is called PenTile.
The photo below shows the standard RGB layout and the previous generation PenTile.
Subpixels of different colors can glow with different strengths, so the picture looks less detailed and clear on AMOLED (these flaws most often appear along the contours of the depicted objects).
There is no such looseness in IPS displays, respectively, IPS give better sharpness and detail. In fact, to notice the pixelation of the picture, you do not need to have superpowers. Unlike IPS, the structure of the AMOLED matrix can be noticed, say, by any short-sighted user who decides to read a detective before going to bed. This is the fourth plus.
Again, because AMOLED highlights each individual subpixel, there is a possibility of burnout of these organic LEDs (example in the photo, see below). The warranty period of such a screen is at least 6 years, but even after a year of using the device, a change in brightness and color reproduction can still be noticed.
IPS screens give a much higher maximum brightness. Hence: the readability of any image, respectively, becomes better. AMOLED screens with direct sunlight begin to "go out": the brightness of such a screen is not enough to highlight the picture in the sun.
In the constant competition and race between manufacturers, new technologies are born every year that surpass their predecessors in every way. This also applies to the manufacturing technologies of modern displays. Just imagine, some 15-20 years ago we only knew CRT CRT screens. They were bulky, heavy and had a low flicker frequency, which negatively affected our health. But already today, users can choose between Amoled or IPS, as well as other types of matrices that allow you to make screens as flat and light as possible.
In addition, modern types of matrices are distinguished by the highest image accuracy, high resolution and quality. In this article, we will focus on two modern technologies - Amoled (S-Amoled) and IPS. This knowledge will help you make the right choice for your requirements. But in order to understand which display is better in a given situation, it is necessary to disassemble both technologies separately.
1. What is an IPS matrix and what advantages does it have
Despite the fact that the first IPS displays were developed back in 1996, this technology has gained popularity and mass distribution among consumers only in the last few years. During this time, IPS matrices have undergone a lot of changes and improvements, which made it possible to provide users with high-quality displays that display the most natural colors. In addition, IPS matrices have high definition and image accuracy.
When asking which screen is better than IPS or Amoled, you should understand that the comparison is between the two most recent developments. These two technologies have different design features.
The main feature of the IPS display is natural color reproduction. It is because of this quality that such screens are in great demand among professional photographers and photo editors.
1.2. Benefits of an IPS matrix
IPS displays have a number of undeniable advantages that are visible to the naked eye:
- Maximum natural color reproduction;
- Excellent screen brightness and contrast;
- Image accuracy and clarity. It is worth noting that in IPS displays, the pixel grid is practically invisible to the naked eye, which makes the image even more accurate and pleasant to read;
- Low power consumption;
- High screen resolution. Speaking of resolution, it is worth understanding that the vast majority of modern IPS screens have a Full HD resolution of 1920x1080.
Of course, like any other technology, IPS also has its drawbacks, but they are minor:
- Slow response. But this is absolutely invisible to the naked eye, and when compared with the “fastest” (by response) TN matrices, you will not notice this visually;
- Very often on the Internet you can find statements about the large and noticeable pixel grid of the IPS screen, but this parameter is by far the best among analogues. If we compare IPS with TN + Film or Amoled, then the pixel grid sizes of IPS are the smallest, which makes such screens the best in this comparison.
Of course, when comparing which is better than IPS or superAmoled, you should understand that not all IPS displays are equally good, since there are different types of IPS matrices. At the same time, Amoled is a development of Samsung and they are produced only under the brand of the same name, so Amoled screens practically do not differ from each other.
2. Super Amoled matrices
This type of display was developed in 2009 by Samsung. The main and only purpose of developing this screen is to use in mobile phones, smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices with a touch screen. Already in 2010, the Korean company released a new type of matrix called Super Amoled. The difference between Amoled and Super Amoled is that there is no air gap between the layers of the second type of screen (S-Amoled).
This decision made the screen even thinner. It also increased the brightness of the display by 20%. At the same time, power consumption remained at the same low level. In theory, such features make Super Amoled screens not susceptible to bright light. In other words, the user can see the image perfectly even in direct sunlight. However, in practice this is not the case. Of course, a comparison of IPS and Super Amoled shows that S-Amoled wins in this parameter, but in any case, with direct rays, the picture becomes difficult to see.
2.1. Advantages of Super Amoled matrices
If we talk about touch screens, then first of all it is worth noting that this type of screen is characterized by higher sensitivity and quick response to user gestures. In addition, there are other advantages:
- The highest brightness among all types of screens;
- The largest viewing angles;
- High saturation and the maximum number of colors and shades;
- Partial damping of glare in sunlight, which improves the perception of the picture in bright sunlight;
- Low power consumption, which is extremely important for mobile devices;
- Screen life is one of the longest.
3. Super Amoled vs IPS
So, taking into account all of the above, you can understand how Amoled differs from IPS. The first is the brightness of the screen. Super Amoled is the undisputed leader in terms of brightness and color saturation. This is a very important parameter for mobile devices. However, if you are engaged in photo processing, then it is not the brightness that matters to you, but the naturalness of the color reproduction, and IPS technology has no equal in this.
Another difference is the thickness of the device. Of course, if we talk about monitors or TVs, then this parameter is not of particular importance. However, when it comes to smartphones or tablets, Super Amoled is the clear leader. Also, S-Amoled touchscreens have a higher sensitivity than IPS, which provides faster and more accurate response to user commands.
IPS technology, in turn, has a smaller and more inconspicuous pixel grid. However, to see it, you need to use a magnifying glass. With the usual visual acquaintance, this difference is practically not visible.
Knowing all these differences, you can understand which display is better IPS or Super Amoled in a given situation. No advice can be given in this case, because both screens are of high quality, image accuracy and clarity, as well as display resolution.
4LCD vs AMOLED: Video
Samsung differs from other manufacturers in that most of its smartphones are equipped with Super AMOLED screens, rather than the more traditional LCD IPS. Such displays have become a trademark of the company and have gained many fans and opponents. These matrices are one of the varieties of screens based on active LEDs, not liquid crystals, and indeed have both advantages and some disadvantages.
Super AMOLED is Samsung's marketing term for the latest generation of LED display arrays dating back to 2010. Such displays initially differed from conventional AMOLEDs in that they did not have an air gap under the touchscreen. The touch layer in them is located directly on the matrix, due to which the brightness was increased, power consumption was reduced, the tendency to glare and the risk of dust on the matrix was eliminated. Now most smartphone screens have lost their air gap (except for the cheapest models), including AMOLED, but the term Super AMOLED continues to be used by Samsung.
Super AMOLED displays are built on a fundamentally different principle, unlike the usual LCD matrices. LCD screens consist of an array of liquid crystals, diode backlighting and a mirror substrate. Light passing through the crystals is partially absorbed by them. Depending on the position of the crystal, it glows brighter or dimmer, and only transmits radiation of one color (red, green or blue). The combination of the brightness of the three multi-colored sub-pixels determines the color of the pixel that we see.
In Super AMOLED, instead of liquid crystals, the subpixels use miniature LEDs with the same multi-colored filters. They themselves emit light, the brightness of the glow is regulated by changing the power of the supplied current, using the pulse-width modulation (PWM) method. This approach made it possible to abandon additional illumination, a mirror reflective-diffusing substrate, which had a positive effect on power consumption and the thickness of the matrices. 
The advantages of Super AMOLED matrices over LCD
- Smaller thickness. The absence of a special mirror substrate, as well as light-absorbing and diffusing filters, makes Super AMOLED thinner than their liquid crystal counterparts. This is facilitated by a sensor installed without an air gap.
- Reduced power consumption. Since the matrix itself (and its backlight) glows, and the brightness of the picture is regulated by changing the brightness of individual pixels, less energy is wasted. So, a dark pixel on an LCD panel simply absorbs light, at a fixed brightness level of the main backlight (which still consumes energy), and in Super AMOLED, reducing the brightness of each pixel leads to a decrease in their energy consumption.
- Pure black color. In LCD, the backlight remains bright, and in order to display black, the liquid crystals are rotated to a position in which they do not let through the usual white light of the backlight diodes. However, part of it is still scattered, because of this, ideal blackness cannot be obtained: the screen will cast gray, blue or brownish, especially at the edges. On Super AMOLED, when black is displayed, the pixel is completely turned off. And since black is the absence of any color, there is nothing to shine.
- Adaptive brightness and high contrast. Depending on the displayed shades, their ratio in the picture, Super AMOLED displays are able to adjust the supplied power. If the screen is completely filled with white, its brightness will not be very high, about 400 cd/m2 (top IPS have more than 1000 cd/m2). However, if there are many dark shades in the picture, the light areas become brighter. Due to this, the contrast increases, in bright sunlight the picture is perceived better.
- Curved screens. The design of LCD panels imposes restrictions on their shape; it is difficult and expensive to achieve a strong curvature. But LEDs can theoretically be placed on a surface of any shape, achieving a bend with a radius of only a few centimeters.
Disadvantages of Super AMOLED displays vs. LCD
- Price. The cost of Super AMOLED matrices of the latest generations was compared in price with top-end LCD IPS. However, in the budget segment, LED panels will be more expensive than LCD panels of similar quality. $5 IPS are close to natural hues, with some minor white balance and color temperature issues. A similarly priced Super AMOLED panel will render overly acidic colors, which is why Samsung doesn't make them anymore. The cheapest Super AMOLED matrix will cost more than a budget IPS counterpart.
- Tendency to burn out. Miniature LEDs have a limited resource, over time they lose their brightness. If the display constantly displays dynamic scenes (for example, movies) - it will simply reduce the brightness over time. But if some static information of a light shade is displayed on it all the time (on-screen buttons, indicators, clocks, etc.) - in these places the diodes will burn out faster, and over time, “shadows” may remain under them (for example, battery silhouette, even if the charge indicator is not shown at this time).
- Flicker PWM diodes. Since the brightness of the pixels is regulated by the pulse-width method, they flicker during operation. The flicker frequency ranges from 60 to hundreds of hertz, and owners of sensitive eyes can notice it, experiencing discomfort. The lower the brightness, the shorter each pulse will be, which is why some people find it unpleasant to look at the Super AMOLED display at a brightness level lower than 100%.
- pentile. The structure of the Pentile matrices implies the use of a reduced number of subpixels, usually blue. When used to build two pixels, five are used (hence the name), and not six subpixels (one blue and two red and green each). The use of pentile is due to the desire to reduce energy consumption, reduce the impact of blue light on the eyes and reduce the cost of producing screens. But at the moment, Samsung creates all matrices according to this structure, so when we say Super AMOLED, we mean Pentile. With the naked eye, at the current pixel density, only a few are able to see the lack of subpixels, but in VR their deficiency becomes more noticeable.
Screens with an OLED, AMOLED and even Super AMOLED matrix “burn out” over time. If the same pixels are illuminated on the screen for a long time, they will dim and it will be clearly visible. Usually virtual navigation buttons, icons in the top bar and a clock are printed. Display cases of smartphones displayed in the store suffer the most from this problem. They are turned on almost around the clock, stand on the stands for weeks or months and all the time they show the same demo content that remains forever on the matrix.
What is the problem?
The crux of the problem lies in a key feature of OLED technology. The matrix consists of LEDs of three colors (blue, red and green), and different types of diodes have their own service life. The blue subpixels are less bright, so more current is applied to them to maintain color balance than the red and green subpixels. Because of this, the life of the blue diodes is reduced, over time they shine more and more dimmer, and the color reproduction of the screen goes into red and green shades.
Burn-in occurs where blue or white is heavily used. Black color does not use pixel backlighting, so it does not cause burn-in. Burnt pixels become dark and visible on the screen. The brighter the image, the better they can be seen.
Is there a solution?
Manufacturers have not come up with an adequate solution to this problem, they either ignore it altogether or use crutches, providing for a periodic shift of static elements of the operating system interface by several pixels. Users do not notice this shift, but it avoids overheating of the subpixels and slows down the degradation of their properties. The matrix of some Samsung smartphones uses PenTile technology: blue diodes are larger and glow brightly enough with less current, which increases their service life.
How to avoid burnout?
Burn-in occurs most quickly on a bright screen, so you should not unnecessarily unscrew the brightness slider to the maximum.
Do not leave your smartphone turned on with a static image for a long time.
Use a dark theme in applications and the keyboard, and preferably a black theme.
If your smartphone supports themes, change them from time to time.
Change the wallpaper and icon layout on the home screen from time to time.
Do not use your smartphone as an electronic watch. There are applications that allow you to display the time on the screen, and a few hours of work in this mode are enough for the pixels under the numbers to burn out.
Can a screen with burnt pixels be repaired?
Diodes are not restored, so it will not work to remove burn-in from the screen. Some advise leaving the screen for a couple of hours in the sun. After such a procedure, burned out pixels may not be visible, but not because they have recovered, but because the rest of the subpixels have also darkened. If the smartphone is uncomfortable to use due to traces on the screen, it makes sense to take it to the workshop and ask to replace the matrix or do it yourself.
A fairly well-established product in the IT technology market are flagships with an amoled monitor.
Why is it interesting to an ordinary person and is it worth spending your attention on it?
AMOLED display
Amoled technology is the brainchild of the world-famous Samsung company. The invention won the love of consumers, thanks to which the manufacturer is trying to improve it all the time.
To begin with, let's figure it out, amoled display, what is it? This is an abbreviation of capital letters, which, when decoded, look like this: Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode.
A technique that allows you to create monitors for televisions, mobile phones and computers.
Its basis is the use of organic light-emitting diodes, as parts that emit light, and an active matrix, which consists of thin-film transistors.
Interesting in technology is the way to create black.
When it needs to be generated, the LEDs simply stop working, and this makes it possible to get a truly rich, deep black color. With its presence on the monitor, there is a decrease in power consumption by the phone.
On the screen, all the pictures look much more attractive. Color reproduction is bright and saturated. Therefore, models hold the lead in the market along with IPS.
Phones with AMOLED display
Phones with amoled display do not lose their relevance for quite a long time. They have gained their trust and now even practice installation in a budget model.
Users of such gadgets are satisfied with the colors provided by the developers and the devices themselves as a whole.
Popular models with such a screen include:
Pros of AMOLED
Of course, phones with such a display are very high-status. Among their advantages is the width of the screen, in which the corners do not bend and the picture is shown in full. Also, great contrast.
Monitor matrices are presented in a very saturated color. Black looks perfect.
When you look at such a display, there is a feeling that the picture is not in it, but on the surface. According to consumer reviews, this increases the pleasure of using the gadget.
Disadvantages of AMOLED
To date, the quality of screens made on the basis of amoled technologies has improved so much that consumers simply do not find any negative aspects of the product.
One bad trend is still visible. The most negative thing is that there are health problems.
Even with a short viewing of multimedia files, the eyes begin to tire, and over time, vision deteriorates. From overwork of the eyes, the sharpness of vision is lost.
Color pictures on the screen are very bright. Not every person can adapt to such an eyeball strain. At first, I like the brightness, but it has a detrimental effect on vision.
From the side of science, it was not possible to confirm such data. After all, you need to collect a certain number of people, conduct research and draw conclusions based on statistical data. We provide information that was shared on the Internet only by some users.
Many of them wrote that after buying a phone with such a display, their eyes began to get very tired, they had to buy special drops. Or one hundred percent vision in a short time has deteriorated greatly.
Among the disadvantages of this technology, we can also highlight:
1 You need to be very careful with the phone display. If you damage it somewhere, and there is even the slightest ingress of air inside, the screen will instantly begin to fade. Within one or two days, your mobile device will become unusable due to the fact that the monitor will stop showing at all. From the point at which the depressurization occurred, a black spot will appear and in a short time will grow to the entire surface.
1 The connections under the screen are extremely loose. At the slightest mechanical damage, such as a crack, the monitor becomes unusable. He doesn't show.
Smartphones with AMOLED display
Smartphones with amoled display have been present in the IT technology market for a long time. They are known to a large number of users and have managed to win recognition for the brightness of their color reproduction.
Many manufacturers are increasingly turning to this method when creating smartphones.
So, Meizu Pro 6, Yota YotaPhone 2, Huawei Nexus 6P, Highscreen Bay, Lumia phones use amoled screens in their models.
The Microsoft Lumia 950 Dual SIM models use a 5.2-inch display created using this design technique. Customer reviews are the most positive.
Photos and videos can be viewed freely even in the strongest sunlight.
Highscreen Bay is known for being able to capture even the smallest details in an image thanks to this screen technology. This is due to the excellent quality of the AMOLED matrix.
The Meizu Pro 6 phone is also equipped with a Super AMOLED matrix. His pictures are bright and clear..
The Yota YotaPhone 2 model is equipped with a 5-inch screen and an AMOLED matrix.
Super AMOLED
The technology appeared in 2010. It is much better than its predecessor.
The benefits are noticeable:
- Even more brightness. The color gamut has become twenty percent more saturated.
- The viewing angle has changed. It turns 180 degrees and the advantage is that the image remains clear and high quality, not only for the person who is looking at the screen located directly in front of him, but for everyone else, at any distance.
- Energy consumption has been reduced by twenty percent.
Energy storage is a constant problem for smartphones. It’s good if the phone’s charge lasts until the evening, or even less. So here's a new method. slightly increased the operating time of the device.
- The phone is now more durable. Newer models are manufactured without built-in air cushion. This makes it possible to make devices much stronger, respectively, and their service life increases.
For example, when there is a lot of white color on the phone screen with the display in question, then twice as much energy is spent. This does not happen in IPS phones..
When working with a black screen, the energy consumption indicators are approximately the same. In the normal mode of operation of the device, IPS also dominates in the charge of energy.
It’s more convenient for someone, but when the phone has a built-in amoled display, the brightness goes off scale. It gets in the way a little.
And with prolonged use, the eyes hurt and dry out. In IPS, with a more sparing color scheme, there are no such problems.
However, if you examine the response speed of the phone to your manipulations, IPS phones respond much slower.
Its positive side is that the screen conveys more natural colors. But when photographing on the sunny side, the device clearly lacks brightness.
