The difference between the two
1. Thickness: LCD screens are thick and hard, and cannot be bent; OLED screens can be bent, making them softer and thinner. From a structural perspective, AMOLED thickness can be nearly 30% thinner than LCD.
2. Price: Due to the mature technology of LCD, LCD is cheaper in terms of price.
3. Service life: LCD screens use inorganic materials, while OLED screens use organic materials. OLED screens have a shorter service life than LCD screens.
4. Color expression: LCD emits light through backlight refraction, so when displaying black, there may be light leakage and whitening around the screen, making black more similar to gray. OLED can express colors through self emission, resulting in a more vivid and full display effect, but there is a risk of screen burn-in.
(Representation of Black)
5. Energy consumption: The luminous principle of LCD is that the color filter film will cause a decrease in light efficiency. Some analyses suggest that the utilization rate of LCD for backlight brightness will not exceed 15%, and 85% of energy is wasted. Therefore, OLED is more energy-efficient than LCD.
LCD is never a slave
OLED screens are often referred to as "blind screens" due to the issue of screen flicker. When adjusting screen brightness, OLED screens use PWM dimming, which is commonly understood as turning on and off every second to control brightness. The brightness is adjusted by the proportion of screen on/off time within the interval.
As long as I light up and turn off quickly enough, my brain cannot feel that I am rapidly switching between light and light states. For some people who are sensitive to screen flicker, PWM dimming is particularly unfriendly to their eyes at low brightness, especially at night, which is why some people may feel obvious eye pain and soreness when using their phones at night.
However, many manufacturers later introduced DC modulation to solve the problem of screen flicker, but with it came the problems of screen burn-in and uneven brightness.
LCD enthusiasts are shouting: LCD will never be enslaved, because of the fatal problem of OLED screen flicker.
(Screen flicker display under camera, image sourced from the internet)
future trends
Although OLED has screen flicker issues, in daily use, the human eye cannot clearly perceive it. Only those who are very sensitive to screen flicker will truly feel discomfort.
OLED with greater power than excess has more advantages, such as better contrast, better black performance, wider color gamut, lighter, thinner, bendable, and so on. That's why mainstream flagship phones now choose OLED screens.
In the future, the development trend of mobile phones will also move towards full screen, curved/foldable screens, and under screen fingerprint and under screen cameras, and the position of OLED will not be shaken. LCD screens will be more commonly used in mid to low end smartphones due to their low cost and mature technology.
So, whether to choose LCD screen or OLED screen, Haoge has summarized their respective advantages and disadvantages for everyone. If you are particularly sensitive to screen flicker, it is recommended to choose LCD. In addition, choosing OLED screen can bring a better visual experience.