Comparison of smartphone displays. Screens and types of matrices of modern smartphones and tablets: which one to choose? The best smartphones with AMOLED matrices

When choosing a monitor, many users are faced with the question: which is better PLS or IPS.

These two technologies have existed for quite a long time and both show themselves quite well.

If you look at various articles on the Internet, they either write that everyone must decide for themselves what is better, or they do not give an answer to the question posed at all.

Actually, these articles make no sense at all. After all, they do not help users in any way.

Therefore, we will look at in what cases it is better to choose PLS or IPS and give advice that will help you do right choice. Let's start with the theory.

What is IPS

It’s worth saying right away that this moment It is the two options under consideration that are leaders in the technology market.

And not every specialist will be able to say which technology is better and what advantages each of them has.

So, the word IPS itself stands for In-Plane-Switching (literally “in-site switching”).

This abbreviation also stands for Super Fine TFT (“super thin TFT”). TFT, in turn, stands for Thin Film Transistor.

To put it simply, TFT is a technology for displaying images on a computer, which is based on an active matrix.

Hard enough.

Nothing. Let's figure it out now!

So, in TFT technology, the molecules of liquid crystals are controlled using thin-film transistors, this means “active matrix”.

IPS is exactly the same, only the electrodes in monitors with this technology are on the same plane with liquid crystal molecules, which are parallel to the plane.

All this can be clearly seen in Figure 1. There, in fact, displays with both technologies are shown.

First there is a vertical filter, then transparent electrodes, after them liquid crystal molecules (blue sticks, they interest us most), then a horizontal filter, a color filter and the screen itself.

Rice. No. 1. TFT and IPS screens

The only difference between these technologies is that the LC molecules in TFT are not located in parallel, but in IPS they are in parallel.

Thanks to this, they can quickly change the viewing angle (specifically, here it is 178 degrees) and give a better picture (in IPS).

And also due to this solution, the brightness and contrast of the picture on the screen has significantly increased.

Now it is clear?

If not, write your questions in the comments. We will definitely answer them.

IPS technology was created in 1996. Among its advantages, it is worth noting the absence of the so-called “excitement,” that is, an incorrect reaction to touch.

It also has excellent color rendition. Quite a lot of companies produce monitors using this technology, including NEC, Dell, Chimei and even.

What is PLS

For a very long time, the manufacturer did not say anything at all about its brainchild, and many experts put forward various assumptions regarding the characteristics of PLS.

Actually, this technology is now covered big amount secrets But we will still find the truth!

PLS was released in 2010 as an alternative to the aforementioned IPS.

This abbreviation stands for Plane To Line Switching (that is, “switching between lines”).

Let us recall that IPS is In-Plane-Switching, that is, “switching between lines.” This refers to switching in a plane.

And above we said that in this technology, liquid crystal molecules quickly become flat and due to this, a better viewing angle and other characteristics are achieved.

So, in PLS everything happens exactly the same, but faster. Figure 2 shows all this clearly.

Rice. No. 2. PLS and IPS work

In this figure, at the top there is the screen itself, then the crystals, that is, the same LC molecules that were indicated by blue sticks in Figure No. 1.

The electrode is shown below. On the left, in both cases, their location is shown in the off state (when the crystals do not move), and on the right – in the on state.

The principle of operation is the same - when the crystals begin to work, they begin to move, while initially they are located parallel to each other.

But, as we see in Figure No. 2, these crystals quickly acquire the desired shape - the one that is necessary for the maximum.

Over a certain period of time, the molecules in the IPS monitor do not become perpendicular, but in the PLS they do.

That is, in both technologies everything is the same, but in PLS everything happens faster.

Hence the intermediate conclusion - PLS works faster and, in theory, this particular technology could be considered the best in our comparison.

But it is too early to draw final conclusions.

This is interesting: Samsung filed a lawsuit against LG several years ago. It claimed that the AH-IPS technology used by LG is a modification of PLS ​​technology. From this we can conclude that PLS is a type of IPS, and the developer himself admitted this. Actually, this was confirmed and we are a little higher.

Which is better PLS or IPS? How to choose good screen- management

What if I don't understand anything?

In this case, the video at the end of this article will help you. It clearly shows a cross-section of TFT and IPS monitors.

You will be able to see how it all works and understand that in PLS everything happens exactly the same, but faster than in IPS.

Now we can move on to further comparison of technologies.

Expert opinions

On some sites you can find information about an independent study of PLS ​​and IPS.

Experts compared these technologies under a microscope. It is written that in the end they did not find any differences.

Other experts write that it is still better to buy PLS, but do not really explain why.

Among all the statements of experts, there are several main points that can be observed in almost all opinions.

These points are as follows:

  • Monitors with PLS matrices are the most expensive on the market. The cheapest option is TN, but such monitors are inferior in all respects to both IPS and PLS. So, most experts agree that this is very justified, because the picture is better displayed on PLS;
  • Monitors with a PLS matrix are best suited for performing all kinds of design and engineering tasks. This technique will also cope perfectly with the work of professional photographers. Again, from this we can conclude that PLS does a better job of rendering colors and providing sufficient image clarity;
  • According to experts, PLS monitors are virtually free from problems such as glare and flicker. They came to this conclusion during testing;
  • Ophthalmologists say that PLS will be much better perceived by the eyes. Moreover, your eyes will find it much easier to look at PLS all day than IPS.

In general, from all this we again draw the same conclusion that we already made earlier. PLS is a little better than IPS. And this opinion is confirmed by most experts.

Which is better PLS or IPS? How to choose a good screen - guide

Which is better PLS or IPS? How to choose a good screen - guide

Our comparison

Now let’s move on to the final comparison, which will answer the question posed at the very beginning.

The same experts identify a number of characteristics by which different ones need to be compared.

We are talking about indicators such as light sensitivity, response speed (meaning the transition from gray to gray), quality (pixel density without losing other characteristics) and saturation.

We will use them to evaluate the two technologies.

Table 1. Comparison of IPS and PLS according to some characteristics

Other characteristics, including richness and quality, are subjective and vary from person to person.

But from the above indicators it is clear that PLS has slightly higher characteristics.

Thus, we again confirm the conclusion that this technology performs better than IPS.

Rice. No. 3. The first comparison of monitors with IPS and PLS matrices.

There is a single “popular” criterion that allows you to accurately determine which is better – PLS or IPS.

This criterion is called “by eye”. In practice, this means that you just need to take and look at two adjacent monitors and visually determine where the picture is better.

Therefore, we will present several similar images, and everyone will be able to see for themselves where the image visually looks better.

Rice. No. 4. Second comparison of monitors with IPS and PLS matrices.

Rice. No. 5. The third comparison of monitors with IPS and PLS matrices.

Rice. No. 6. The fourth comparison of monitors with IPS and PLS matrices.

Rice. No. 7. Fifth comparison of monitors with IPS (left) and PLS (right) matrices.

It is visually clear that on all PLS samples the picture looks much better, more saturated, brighter, and so on.

We mentioned above that TN is the most inexpensive technology today and monitors using it, accordingly, also cost less than others.

After them in price come IPS, and then PLS. But, as we see, all this is not at all surprising, because the picture really looks much better.

Other characteristics in this case are also higher. Many experts advise buying with PLS matrices and Full HD resolution.

Then the image will really look just great!

It is impossible to say for sure whether this combination is the best on the market today, but it is definitely one of the best.

By the way, for comparison you can see what IPS and TN look like from an acute viewing angle.

Rice. No. 8. Comparison of monitors with IPS (left) and TN (right) matrices.

It is worth saying that Samsung created two technologies at once that are used in monitors and in / and were able to significantly outperform IPS.

We are talking about Super AMOLED screens that are found on mobile devices of this company.

Interestingly, Super AMOLED resolution is usually lower than IPS, but the picture is more saturated and bright.

But in the case of PLS ​​above, almost everything that can be, including resolution.

The general conclusion can be drawn that PLS is better than IPS.

Among other things, PLS has the following advantages:

  • the ability to convey a very wide range of shades (in addition to primary colors);
  • ability to support the entire sRGB range;
  • lower energy consumption;
  • viewing angles allow several people to see the picture comfortably at once;
  • all kinds of distortions are absolutely excluded.

In general, IPS monitors are perfect for solving common household tasks, for example, watching movies and working in office programs.

But if you want to see a really rich and high-quality image, buy equipment with PLS.

This is especially true when you need to work with design/design programs.

Of course, their price will be higher, but it’s worth it!

Which is better PLS or IPS? How to choose a good screen - guide

What is amoled, super amoled, Lcd, Tft, Tft ips? Do not you know? Look!

By 2018, the competition between screen technologies had come down to the fact that there were only two worthy options left on the market. TN matrices were supplanted, VA matrices were not used in mobile devices, and something new had not yet been invented. Therefore, competition has developed between IPS and AMOLED. It’s worth remembering here that IPS, LCD LTPS, PLS, SFT are the same as OLED, Super AMOLED, P-OLED, etc. are just variations of LED technology.

On the topic of what is better, IPS or AMOLED, . But technology does not stand still, so in 2018 it will not be superfluous to make adjustments and analyze it taking into account today’s realities. After all, both types of matrices are constantly being improved, some disadvantages are eliminated, or these disadvantages become less significant.

Now let’s try to find out which is better for a smartphone, IPS or AMOLED. To do this, we will weigh all the pros and cons of each technology in order to identify the absolute leader based on the preponderance of strengths or, taking into account the specifics, decide what is better in specific conditions.

Pros and cons of IPS displays

The development and improvement of IPS displays has been going on for two decades, and during this time the technology has acquired a number of advantages.

Advantages of IPS matrices

IPS matrices are the best among all types of LCD panels due to a number of advantages.

  • Availability. Over the years of development, many companies have massively mastered the technology, making mass production of IPS screens inexpensive. The cost of a smartphone screen with FullHD resolution now starts at around $10. Due to their low price, such screens make smartphones more affordable.
  • Color rendition. A well-calibrated IPS screen reproduces colors with maximum accuracy. That is why professional monitors for designers, graphic artists, photographers, etc. are produced on IPS matrices. They have the greatest coverage of shades, which allows you to get realistic colors of objects on the screen.
  • Fixed power consumption. Liquid crystals that form the image on an IPS screen consume almost no current; the main consumer is backlight diodes. Therefore, energy consumption does not depend on the image on the display and is determined by the backlight level. Due to the fixed power consumption, IPS screens provide approximately the same autonomy when watching movies, web surfing, written communication, etc.
  • Durability. Liquid crystals are almost not subject to aging and wear, so in terms of reliability, IPS is better than AMOLED. Backlight LEDs can degrade, but the service life of such LEDs is very long (tens of thousands of hours), so even after 5 years the screen hardly loses its brightness.

An example of a smartphone with a good IPS screen is the 2019 flagship Huawei Mate 20.

Disadvantages of IPS matrices

Despite significant advantages, IPS also has disadvantages. These shortcomings are fundamental and cannot be eliminated by improving technology.

  • The problem of black purity. Liquid crystals, which display black, do not block light from the backlight 100%. But since the backlight of the IPS screen is common to the entire matrix, its brightness does not decrease, the panel remains illuminated, and as a result the black color is not very deep.

  • Low contrast. The contrast level of LCD matrices (approximately 1:1000) is acceptable for comfortable picture perception, but in this regard AMOLED is better than IPS. Due to the fact that the black is not very deep, the difference between the brightest and darkest pixels in such screens is noticeably smaller than in LED matrices.
  • Long response time. The pixel response speed of IPS panels is low, about tens of milliseconds. This is enough for normal image perception when reading or watching videos, but not enough for VR content and other demanding tasks.

Pros and cons of AMOLED displays

OLED technology is based on the use of an array of miniature LEDs located on a matrix. They are independent, so they offer a number of advantages over IPS, but they are not without their disadvantages.

Advantages of AMOLED matrices

AMOLED technology is newer than IPS, and its creators have taken care to eliminate the disadvantages characteristic of LCD displays.

  • Separate pixel glow. In AMOLED screens, each pixel itself is a light source and is controlled by the system independently of the others. When displaying black, it does not glow, and when displaying mixed shades, it can produce increased brightness. Due to this, AMOLED screens demonstrate better contrast and black depth.

  • Almost instant response. The response speed of pixels on an LED matrix is ​​orders of magnitude higher than that of IPS. Such panels are capable of displaying a dynamic picture at a high frame rate, making it smoother. This feature is a plus in games and when interacting with VR.
  • Reduced power consumption when showing dark tones. Each pixel of the AMOLED matrix lights up independently. The lighter its color, the brighter the pixel, so when displaying dark tones, such screens consume less power than IPS. But when displaying white AMOLED panels, they show similar, or even greater, battery consumption than IPS.
  • Small thickness. Since AMOLED matrices do not have a layer that scatters backlight light onto liquid crystals, such displays are thinner. This allows you to reduce the size of your smartphone while maintaining its reliability and without sacrificing battery capacity. In addition, in the future it is possible to create flexible (and not just curved) AMOLED matrices. This is not possible for IPS.

Some of the best OLED displays tend to go to top-end Samsung devices, as the company is the leader in their production. Equipped with decent matrices Samsung Galaxy S10, as well as other mid- and upper-price models.

Samsung Galaxy S10

Disadvantages of AMOLED matrices

AMOLED matrices also have disadvantages, and the culprit for most troubles is one. These are blue LEDs. Mastering their production is more difficult, and they are inferior in quality to green and red ones.

  • Sineva or PWM. When choosing a smartphone with an AMOLED screen, you have to choose between pulse-width brightness control and blue light tones. This is due to the fact that with a continuous glow, blue subpixels are perceived stronger than red and green ones. This can be corrected by using PWM brightness control, but then another drawback emerges. At maximum screen brightness there is no PWM or the adjustment frequency reaches about 250 Hz. This indicator is on the border of perception and has almost no effect on the eyes. But when the backlight level decreases, the PWM frequency also decreases; as a result, at low levels, flickering with a frequency of about 60 Hz can lead to eye fatigue.
  • Blue Burnout. There is also a problem with blue diodes. Their service life is shorter than green and red ones, so color reproduction may become distorted over time. The screen turns yellow, the white balance shifts towards warm tones, and overall color reproduction deteriorates.
  • Memory effect. Since miniature LEDs are prone to fading, areas on the screen that displayed a bright, static image (for example, a clock or a light-colored network indicator) may lose brightness over time. As a result, even if the element is not displayed, the silhouette of this element is visible in these places.

  • PenTile. The PenTile structure is not a fundamental disadvantage of all AMOLED panels, but is still characteristic of most of them. With this structure, the matrix contains an unequal number of red, green and blue subpixels (Samsung has half as many blue ones, LG has twice as many). The main motive for using PenTile is the desire to compensate for the shortcomings of blue LEDs. However side effect This solution results in a decrease in picture clarity, which is especially noticeable in VR headsets.
.

Samsung Galaxy S8

Taking into account all the features of both types of matrices, it can be noted that IPS with high resolution It’s better if you are interested in VR and need maximum picture clarity. After all, in AMOLED, the comfortable perception of virtual reality is slightly hampered by PenTile, and the PWM backlight so far neutralizes the instantaneous response speed. IPS is also better if you have to work more with light colors (web surfing, instant messengers).

AMOLED screens are the future, but the technology is not perfect yet. However, you can safely buy a smartphone with an LED screen, especially if it is a flagship. Brightness, contrast, deep blacks and energy savings when displaying dark tones can overcome all the disadvantages of OLED.

In the year 2007, buying another mobile phone, we evaluated its design, rarely paying attention to functionality and especially the screen - color, not too small, and that’s great. Today, mobile devices can hardly be distinguished from each other, but the most important characteristic for many remains the screen and not only its diagonal size, but also matrix type. Let's see what's behind the terms TFT, TN, IPS, PLS, and how to choose a smartphone screen with the required characteristics.

Types of matrices

Currently, modern mobile devices use three technologies for producing matrices based on:

  • liquid crystal display (LCD): TN+film And IPS;
  • on organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) – AMOLED.

Let's start with TFT(thin-film transistor), which is a thin-film transistor used to control the operation of each subpixel. This technology is used in all of the above types of screens, including AMOLED, so comparing TFT and IPS is not always correct. The vast majority of TFT matrices use amorphous silicon, but TFTs on polycrystalline silicon (LTPS-TFTs) have also begun to appear, the advantage of which is reduced power consumption and higher pixel density (more than 500 ppi).

TN+film (TN)– the simplest and cheapest matrix used in mobile devices with small viewing angles, low contrast and low color accuracy. This type of matrix is ​​installed in the cheapest smartphones.

IPS (or SFT)– the most common type of matrix in modern mobile gadgets, which has wide viewing angles (up to 180 degrees), realistic color reproduction and provides the ability to create displays with a high pixel density. This type of matrices has several types, let’s consider the most popular ones:

  • AH-IPS– from LG;
  • PLS– from Samsung.

It makes no sense to talk about advantages relative to each other, since the matrices are identical in properties and characteristics. You can distinguish a cheap IPS matrix by eye by its characteristic properties:

  • fading of the picture when the screen is tilted;
  • low color accuracy: an image with oversaturated or very dull colors.

Standing apart from LCD are matrices created on the basis of organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). Mobile devices use a type of OLED technology - matrix AMOLED, demonstrating the deepest blacks, low power consumption and overly saturated colors. By the way, the life of AMOLED is limited, but modern organic LEDs are designed for at least three years of continuous operation.


Conclusion

The highest quality and brightest images are currently provided by AMOLED matrices, but if you are looking at a non-Samsung smartphone, I recommend an IPS screen. Mobile devices with a TN+film matrix are simply technologically outdated. I recommend not buying a smartphone with an AMOLED screen that has a pixel density of less than 300 ppi; this is due to the problem of subpixel patterns in this type of matrix.

Perspective matrix type


– the most promising displays based on quantum dot technology. A quantum dot is a microscopic piece of semiconductor in which quantum effects play an important role. QLED matrices in the future will have better color rendering, contrast, higher brightness and low power consumption.

Modern devices are equipped with screens of various configurations. The main ones at the moment are based on displays, but different technologies can be used for them, in particular we are talking about TFT and IPS, which differ in a number of parameters, although they are descendants of the same invention.

Nowadays there are a huge number of terms that denote certain technologies hidden under abbreviations. For example, many may have heard or read about IPS or TFT, but few understand what the actual difference is between them. This is due to the lack of information in electronics catalogs. That is why it is worth understanding these concepts, and also deciding whether TFT or IPS is better?

Terminology

To determine what will be better or worse in each individual case, you need to find out what functions and tasks each IPS is responsible for. In fact, it is a TFT, or more precisely, a variety of it, in the manufacture of which a certain technology was used - TN-TFT. These technologies should be considered in more detail.

Differences

TFT (TN) is one of the methods for producing matrices, that is, thin-film transistor screens, in which the elements are arranged in a spiral between a pair of plates. In the absence of voltage supply, they will be turned to each other at right angles in the horizontal plane. The maximum voltage causes the crystals to rotate so that light passing through them leads to the formation of black pixels, and in the absence of voltage - white.

If we consider IPS or TFT, the difference between the first and the second is that the matrix is ​​made on the basis described earlier, however, the crystals in it are not arranged in a spiral, but parallel to a single plane of the screen and to each other. Unlike TFT, the crystals in this case do not rotate under no-voltage conditions.

How do we see this?

If you look at IPS or visually, the difference between them is the contrast, which is ensured by almost perfect reproduction of black. The image will appear clearer on the first screen. But the quality of color rendering when using a TN-TFT matrix cannot be called good. In this case, each pixel has its own shade, different from the others. Because of this, colors are greatly distorted. However, such a matrix also has an advantage: it is characterized by the highest response speed among all currently existing ones. An IPS screen requires a certain time during which all parallel crystals will make a complete turn. However, the human eye hardly detects the difference in response time.

Important Features

If we talk about what is better in operation: IPS or TFT, then it is worth noting that the former are more energy-intensive. This is due to the fact that turning the crystals requires a considerable amount of energy. That is why, if a manufacturer is faced with the task of making their device energy efficient, it usually uses a TN-TFT matrix.

If you choose a TFT or IPS screen, it is worth noting the wider viewing angles of the second, namely 178 degrees in both planes, this is very convenient for the user. Others have proven unable to provide the same. And another significant difference between these two technologies is the cost of products based on them. TFT matrices are currently the cheapest solution, which is used in most budget models, and IPS belongs to a higher level, but it is not top-end either.

IPS or TFT display to choose?

The first technology allows you to obtain the highest quality, clearest image, but requires more time to rotate the crystals used. This affects response time and other parameters, in particular the rate at which the battery discharges. The color rendering level of TN matrices is much lower, but their response time is minimal. The crystals here are arranged in a spiral.

In fact, one can easily note the incredible gap in the quality of screens based on these two technologies. This also applies to cost. TN technology remains on the market solely because of price, but it is not capable of providing a rich and bright picture.

IPS is a very successful continuation in the development of TFT displays. A high level of contrast and fairly large viewing angles are additional advantages of this technology. For example, on TN-based monitors, sometimes the black color itself changes its hue. However, the high energy consumption of IPS-based devices forces many manufacturers to resort to alternative technologies or reduce this figure. Most often, matrices of this type are found in wired monitors that do not operate on a battery, which allows the device not to be so energy dependent. However, developments in this area are constantly underway.

How can you choose what’s right for you from the variety of modern smartphones? Today the bad-android team has prepared material with useful tips on the topic of display selection.

How not to overpay for a device? How can you figure out what to expect from it based on the type of display?

Types of matrices

Modern smartphones use three basic types of matrices.

The first of them, called - is based on organic light-emitting diodes. The remaining two types are based on liquid crystals - IPS And TN+film.

It is impossible not to mention the frequently encountered abbreviation TFT.

TFT- these are thin-film transistors that control subpixels of displays (subpixels are responsible for the three primary colors, on the basis of which “full” “multicolor” pixels are formed, which we will talk about a little later).

Technology TFT applies in all three types of matrices listed above. That is why the often used comparison TFT And IPS is essentially absurd.

For many years, the main material for TFT matrices was amorphous silicon. At the moment, an improved production of TFT matrices has been launched, in which the main material is polycrystalline silicon, significantly increasing energy efficiency. The size of the transistors has also been reduced, which allows achieving the highest performance. ppi(pixel density).

So, we’ve sorted out the matrix base, it’s time to talk directly about the data types of matrices.

TN+film matrix

These matrices were the first to appear in smartphones. At the moment they remain the most primitive and, accordingly, cheap.

Advantages:

    Affordable price

Flaws:

    Small viewing angles (maximum 60 degrees)

    Inverts images even at small angles

    Low contrast level

    Poor color rendering

Most manufacturers have practically abandoned the use of this type of matrix due to too large quantity shortcomings.

IPS matrix

At the moment, this type of matrix is ​​the most common. Also, IPS matrices are sometimes designated by the abbreviation S.F.T..

Story IPS-matrix originates several decades ago. During this period, many different modifications and improvements were developed IPS-displays.

When listing the advantages and disadvantages of IPS, it is necessary to take into account the specific subtype. To summarize, for the list of strengths of IPS we will take the best subtype (and therefore the most expensive), and for the disadvantages we will keep in mind the cheapest subtype.

Advantages:

    Excellent viewing angles (maximum 180 degrees)

    High-quality color rendition

    Possibility of producing high ppi displays

    Good energy efficiency

Flaws:

    Picture fades when the display is tilted

    Possible oversaturation or, conversely, insufficient color saturation

AMOLED matrix

The matrix provides the deepest black color, compared to the other two types of matrices. But it was not always so. The first AMOLED matrices had implausible color reproduction and insufficient color depth. There was some acidity in the picture, too intense brightness.

Until now, due to internal incorrect settings, some displays are almost identical in perception to IPS. But in super-AMOLED displays, all flaws were successfully fixed.

When listing the advantages and disadvantages, let’s take a regular AMOLED matrix.

Advantages:

    The highest quality picture among all existing types of matrices

    Low power consumption

Flaws:

    Occasionally uneven lifespan of LEDs (different colors)

    The need for careful configuration of the AMOLED display

Let's sum up the intermediate results. Obviously, the matrices are leaders in image quality. It is AMOLED displays that are installed on the most top-end devices. In second place are IPS matrices, but you should be careful with them: manufacturers rarely indicate the subtype of the matrix, and this is what plays a key role in the final level of the image. An unambiguous and firm “no” should be said to devices with TN+film matrices.

Subpixels

The determining factor in the final quality of the display is often hidden display characteristics. Image perception is strongly influenced by subpixels.

In case of LCD the situation is quite simple: everyone is colored ( RGB) pixel consists of three subpixels. The shape of the subpixels depends on the modification of the technology - a subpixel can be shaped like a “check mark” or a rectangle.

In the implementation of displays in terms of subpixels, everything is somewhat more complicated. In this case, the light source is the subpixels themselves. As you know, the human eye is less sensitive to blue and red colors, in contrast to green. That is why repeating the IPS subpixel pattern would significantly affect the picture quality (of course, in the worst side). To preserve the realistic color rendering, technology was invented.

The essence of the technology is to use two pairs of pixels: RG (red-green) and BG (blue-green), which, in turn, consist of corresponding subpixels of the corresponding colors. A combination of subpixel shapes is used: green ones have an elongated shape, and red and blue ones are almost square.

The technology turned out to be not very successful: White color was frankly “dirty”, and there were also nicks at the joints different shades. At a low rate ppi a grid of subpixels became visible. Such matrices have been installed on a number of smartphones, including flagships. The last flagship that was “lucky” to get a PenTile matrix was Samsung Galaxy S III.

Naturally, it was impossible to leave the situation with low-quality implementation of subpixels in the same state, so soon the upgrade above the described technology, which received the prefix Diamond.

By increasing ppi Diamond PenTile made it possible to get rid of the problem with jagged boundaries between colors, and white became much “cleaner” and more pleasing to the eye. And it is this development that is installed in all Samsung flagships, starting with the Galaxy S4.

And here IPS-matrices, although they are generally considered weaker than ’ov’s ones, however, have never encountered such problems.

What conclusion can be drawn? You should definitely pay attention to the quantity ppi in case of purchasing a smartphone with an -matrix. A high-quality picture is only possible with an indicator of 300 ppi. But with IPS matrices do not have such strict restrictions.

Innovative technologies

Time does not stand still; talented engineers continue to work painstakingly to improve all characteristics of smartphones, including matrices. One of the latest serious developments is technology O.G.S..

O.G.S. is an air gap between the screen itself and the projective-capacitive sensor. In this case, the technology met expectations 100%: color rendering quality, maximum brightness and viewing angles increased.

And over the past few years O.G.S. It has become so embedded in smartphones that you won’t find the implementation of a “hamburger” display filled with an air gap except on the simplest devices.

In their search for display optimization, designers came across another interesting opportunity to improve the picture on phones. In 2011, experiments began on shape glass Perhaps the most common form of glass among the unusual ones has become 2.5D- with the help of curved edges of the glass, the edges become smoother and the screen becomes more voluminous.


Company HTC released a smartphone Sensation, the glass of which was concave in the center of the display. According to HTC engineers, this increases protection from scratches and impacts. But glass concave to the center never received widespread use.

The concept of bending the display itself, and not just the glass, as was done in . One of the side edges of the display has a curved shape.


Very interesting characteristic, which you should pay attention to when buying a smartphone is sensor sensitivity. Some smartphones are equipped with a sensor with increased sensitivity, which allows you to fully use the display even with regular gloves. Also, some devices are equipped with an inductive substrate to support styluses.

So for those who like to text in the cold or use a stylus, the sensitive sensor will definitely come in handy.

Known Truths

It's no secret that screen resolution also greatly affects the final level of the image. Without further comment, we present to your attention a table of correspondence between display diagonal and resolution.

Conclusion

Each matrix has its own characteristics and hidden characteristics. You should be careful with -displays, or rather, with the ppi pixel density indicator: if the value less than 300 ppi, then the picture quality will tell you frankly will disappoint.

For IPS-matrix is ​​important subtype, and depending on the subtype, the cost of the smartphone logically increases proportionally.

Curved glass 2.5D will significantly increase the attractiveness of the picture, as will technology O.G.S..

The issue of display size is a purely individual one, but with multi-inch “shovels” a high resolution would be appropriate.

We wish you pleasant shopping, friends!

Stay tuned, more to come a lot of interesting.