AMOLED and LCD are often discussed together as the two most commonly used display technologies on cell phones. LCD is very widely used and now covers smartphones, TVs, computers, and some commercial advertising displays. AMOLED, on the other hand, is a display technology dominated by Samsung and is mainly used in its own smartphones, and only a few years ago (2017) in a small number of Samsung’s computer monitors. What follows in this post is an in-depth comparison between AMOLED and LCD so you know which one is better.
What is AMOLED?
AMOLED is made up of AM (Active Matrix) plus OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), so it can be seen as an upgraded version of OLED. In the early stages of manufacturing, there are the same problems as OLED, and the defective rate is high, originally not favored by Samsung. Later, with the iterative upgrading of technology, the current shortcomings and defective rate of AMOLED is decreasing, and now it has become a key industry of Samsung.
What is LCD?
LCD is the abbreviation of liquid crystal display. Because LCD has been around for a long time and has been used for the longest time, not only is the technology mature, the supply chain is perfect, but also the price is still affordable, so it has been occupying a major position in the field of small and medium-sized display.
AMOLED VS LCDAMOLED vs. LCD: Visual Quality
No matter what kind of display, visual quality is always one of our main concerns. After all, visual quality is one of the most intuitive ways to react to a display. We can compare AMOLED screens and LCDs by a few hard metrics, and here’s how they stack up against each other.
Contrast Ratio
To measure the contrast ratio of a monitor, we mainly look at the performance of the image when the monitor is at its darkest and brightest. By comparing a number of LCD and AMOLED screens on the market, we found that the contrast ratio of AMOLED is higher than that of LCD, especially in the representation of dark patterns, AMOLED screens are able to restore colors to the greatest extent possible, while LCD, on the other hand, performs poorly.
Color Accuracy
AMOLED screen each pixel can be self-illuminated, without the help of backlight board can display a variety of rich colors, AMOLED screen in the application of quantum dot technology, can be done on each pixel precise control, color accuracy has reached the highest point of the display industry, far more than the same period of IPS LCD and OLED display.
Response Time
The response time of AMOLED screen is much faster than LCD. This is mainly because the current through the AMOLED can display the image, while the current through the LCD needs to light up the backlight plate first, as the backlight plate reflects the light through the RGB filter plate to display the image. In the whole display process, AMOLED only needs one step, while LCD needs at least three steps. We may not feel a significant difference when we are using it, but we will feel the difference when we are using it for gaming or video rendering applications that require high accuracy and responsiveness.
Viewing Angle
AMOLED screen is the display with the most perfect viewing angle, it does not have any visual blind spot or dead angle, no matter from which angle you can enjoy clear vision. LCD screens, on the other hand, have different viewing angles depending on the display technology. The worst viewing angle is for VA LCD monitors, while the better viewing angle is for ips LCD monitors.
Energy Consumption
AMOLED itself is an improvement of energy-saving OLED, so it integrates the energy-saving features of OLED. Moreover, AMOLED is controllable per pixel and when darker content needs to be displayed, that part of the area can be turned off completely, thus saving more energy. Liquid crystal, on the other hand, is not self-luminous and must use RGB filters and backlight panels to display color, which is what causes it to use more energy than LEDs, OLEDs or AMOLEDs.
AMOLED ScreenAMOLED vs. LCD: Durability and Longevity
When we shop for a monitor, we consider the durability and longevity of the display, in addition to the aspect ratio of the screen, be it 16:9, 21:9 and 32:9. After all, the longer the device lasts means we spend less and get the best value for money.
Pixel Lifetime
The fact that each point of AMOLED can emit light autonomously is not only an advantage, but also a disadvantage at the same time. Because autonomous luminescence means that the pixel points of the screen have to be lit for a long time, and over time, the natural aging of some pixel points can lead to black spots in some areas of the screen, or problems with the display color of the screen, and subsequently affect the performance of the entire device. In this regard, LCDs, which are illuminated by a backlight panel, do not have such a problem, and they always have a longer lifespan than AMOLEDs.
Overall Lifespan
Once an AMOLED screen has a problem with one pixel, it’s not long before more and more pixels have problems, affecting the overall lifespan. LCDs, on the other hand, will also experience display problems as the backlight panel ages, only this will take longer than AMOLED.
Temperature Impact
Unlike LED displays, both AMOLED and LCD are extremely sensitive to temperature, and both high and low temperatures can seriously threaten their lifespan. When AMOLED and LCD work in places with higher temperatures, it is easy to cause the screen to appear hot and hot, or even direct failure. And when used in places with lower temperatures, they are likely to fail to start up properly.
Therefore, you should always keep your AMOLED screen or LCD at the right temperature when using it. If the display must be used in some more extreme temperatures, then replacing it with another type of display may be a better option. LED displays, for example, can usually easily withstand temperatures of -20 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as -70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Repair and Replacement
Not only do AMOLED screens not compare to LCDs in terms of durability and longevity, they are also much more difficult to repair than LCDs. When you have a problem with your AMOLED screen, it usually cannot be repaired on its own and must be sent back to the manufacturer for replacement. Whereas LCDs are generally more prone to problems with the backlight panel, we just need to carefully remove the backlight panel and replace it.
Summarize
As AMOLED monitors are still in development, at this stage, although in the life and durability than LCD, but it in the viewing angle, response speed, etc. completely crush LCD. if you want to experience, the latest display technology to bring the visual experience, then I would recommend that you choose AMOLED monitors. If you want to buy a long time monitor, then LCD is still the best choice.
