The screen of a smartphone acts as an interface between the device and the user. It is one of the most essential and delicate components of a phone/tablet/PC/laptop. We interact with our device through a screen, we give commands, we receive output through a surface, in short, smartphones are nothing without a screen! These smartphones feature different types of screens, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. All additional features such as color contrast, contrast ratio, sunlight readability depend on what type of screen brightness a smartphone has. Nowadays smartphones are becoming all screen and iPhone X is a good example of that! There is a greater demand for large screen phones with a size equal to or greater than 6 inches.
These are the most common screen types with their advantages and disadvantages. Read until the end to know more about the type of screen that your smartphone presents:
TFT is the most widely used surface in budget phones. TFT LCD offers good quality images and higher resolution. TFT features narrow viewing angles that do not offer an HD view when viewed from the edges or in bright sunlight. It offers the best view and HD colors when viewed from the front. All the TFTs are gone now and the next smartphone models don’t include it.
IPS LCDs are considered to be the best among all! They consume less power compared to TFTs and offer a better view even when viewed from the edges of the screen. The IPS screen is available in high-end smartphone models. IPS LCD screens are readable in sunlight and have wider viewing angles. The screen consumes less energy and emits true colors. The screen is backed by a backlight that consumes less battery than the TFT surface, but the battery consumption is much higher compared to OLED screens.
A capacitive screen features a glass and a conductor. It responds to finger touch and is unresponsive when used with a stylus or gloves. The screen offers a great view and colors to the user. Manufacturers no longer use these types of screens.
OLED screens produce better colors, offer wider viewing angles, impressive color contrast, and have a faster response time compared to an LCD screen. An OLED screen is thin, lightweight, and does not require a backlight to illuminate the screen, and therefore consumes less power. The OLED screen is on the expensive side of the range scale.
AMOLED screens do not need a backlight, as each pixel on the screen is backed by an LED. High brightness, low power consumption, slim frame, and lightweight screen are some of the highlights of these displays. These screens are available in high-end smartphones as they are more expensive than the LCD surface. The screen produces pleasant and true colors.
Super AMOLED is an upgraded version of basic OLED/AMOLED screens. Samsung used the term for marketing purposes with some enhancements. It has the thinnest display screen, is lightweight, and produces great color contrast and lifelike colors.
Retina display isn’t a different technology, it’s another name for LED-backlit IPS LCD. The term was used by Apple as a promotional tool.
The smartphone market is growing every day and the current focus is not on phone specifications but has shifted to appearance and display! The demand for large screen phones has increased in recent times. This boom has led to the emergence of various mobile displays like LCD, OLED, AMOLED, Super AMOLED and more.