1、 The main types of mobile phone screens

At present, the mainstream mobile phone screens are mainly divided into two categories: LCD (liquid crystal screen) and OLED (organic light-emitting diode screen), and OLED screens have derived various technical solutions such as AMOLED, LTPO, Micro LED, etc.

1. LCD screen: classic and durable, with realistic colors

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), also known as liquid crystal display screen, works by providing light source through the backlight layer, and then controlling the degree of light passing through through the rotation of liquid crystal molecules to display different colors.

Features:

✅ Natural color: Due to the native color of LCD screens, it is suitable for users who like realistic display effects.

✅ Good eye protection effect: LCD screens do not experience the common "flicker" problem of OLED screens, making them more eye friendly.

✅ Long lifespan: LCD screens are not prone to burn-in (there will be no residual images after long-term use).

❌ Low contrast: Due to the dependence of LCD on backlight, it cannot display pure black, and black often appears grayish.

❌ High power consumption: The backlight layer is always on, even if the black part is displayed, it is still consuming power.

❌ Difficult to make very thin: LCD screens have a large thickness, which is not conducive to ultra-thin phone design.

Common LCD screen types:

IPS LCD: With a large viewing angle and excellent color performance, it is commonly used in mid-range models.

TFT LCD: outdated technology with light colors and high energy consumption, has gradually been phased out.

Suitable for:

✅ People who use mobile phones for a long time (less flicker, better eye protection)

✅ Users who prefer natural colors (avoid oversaturated colors)

✅ Users with limited budget (LCD screen costs are relatively low)

Representative models: iPhone 11, iPhone SE 3, Redmi Note 12

2. OLED screen: vibrant colors, high contrast

OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screens are composed of self luminous pixels, each of which can emit light independently without the need for a backlight layer, thus achieving pure black display and high contrast.

Features:

✅ Colorful: OLED screens have a wider color gamut and more vibrant display effects.

✅ High contrast: It can present true black and display more vividly.

✅ Lower energy consumption: OLED screens can turn off pixels when displaying black areas, reducing power consumption (but higher power consumption when displaying white).

✅ The screen can be made thinner and more flexible, which is beneficial for foldable and curved screen designs.

❌ Easy screen burn-in: Long term fixed display of a certain screen may cause ghosting (such as navigation bar, status bar).

❌ Strobe issue: OLED screens typically use PWM dimming, which may cause eye fatigue at low brightness.

❌ High cost: High quality OLED screens are expensive and are usually used for mid to high end models.

Common OLED screen technologies:

AMOLED (Active Matrix OLED): commonly found in brands such as Samsung and Apple, with more vibrant colors.

LTPO AMOLED: Supports variable refresh rates (such as 1Hz-120Hz) to improve smoothness while reducing power consumption, commonly seen in flagship models.

Micro LED: At the forefront of technology, it has the advantages of OLED and solves the problem of screen burn-in, but currently it is expensive and has not been widely commercialized.

Suitable for:

✅ Users who pursue high contrast and bright colors (like the "transparency" of the screen)

✅ Users who enjoy gaming and high refresh rate experience (OLED screen response speed is fast)

✅ Users who hope their phones are thinner and lighter (with a more streamlined OLED structure)

Representative models: iPhone 15 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Xiaomi 14 Pro

3、 Refresh rate: an important factor affecting smoothness

In addition to screen type, refresh rate is also a key indicator that affects the screen experience of mobile phones.

60Hz (standard refresh rate): The most basic refresh rate, with stable but not smooth images.

90Hz/120Hz (high refresh rate): smoother operation, suitable for sliding social media, playing games and other scenarios.

144Hz and above: commonly found in gaming phones, the ultra-high refresh rate brings a more ultimate smooth experience.

LTPO variable refresh rate (1Hz-120Hz): The refresh rate can be dynamically adjusted according to the usage scenario, which is energy-saving and smooth. It is standard on flagship models.

Suitable for people with high screen refresh rate:

✅ I enjoy playing games (faster response time, reduced ghosting)

✅ Regularly browse social media (smoother scrolling, better visual experience)

✅ Pursuing power saving and smoothness (LTPO technology is the best choice)

4、 Eye protection mode: reduces screen damage to the eyes

Staring at the screen for a long time can easily cause eye fatigue, blue light damage, and other problems. The following techniques can alleviate them to a certain extent:

DC dimming (reducing low-frequency flicker): More eye friendly than PWM dimming, but may affect color accuracy.

Low blue light mode: reduces high-energy blue light radiation and lowers the risk of eye damage.

• Paper like eye protection mode (such as Honor like natural light screen): simulates the reading effect of paper and is suitable for long-term reading.

If your eyes are sensitive, it is recommended to choose a phone that supports DC dimming or eye protection mode.

Comparison of LCD screen and OLED screen principles