What to choose - AMOLED or IPS and why

The market of electronic gadgets, for the sake of modern technology needs, has always been distinguished by competition between its representatives. This competition has been and is being fought on all fronts, both in the smartphones and tablets market in general, and in the component market. In this article we will discuss a very important detail of any device - the screen, which by modern standards should differ not only in its size, but also in the maximum quality of the transmitted image. The picture is everything! The development of technology has led to the fact that the “ex-leader” of on-screen components - the TN matrix has left its high post, giving up more advanced and advanced AMOLED and IPS on all fronts. And it is about this competition for leadership and will be discussed further.

Smartphone screen selection: AMOLED or IPS.

What's better

This topic has already been studied along and across, as the question of choice is put to users on a daily basis, and with the release of new models, the study and comparison of matrices begins with a new force. Choice is always an individual decision based on some personal preferences and physiology, in particular, it concerns the issue in question. Therefore, all the arguments that will be given below reflect only the general opinion of users, not based on the opinion of experts and the personal opinion of the author.

IPS

It should start with this type of matrix, since this technology is already an order of magnitude older than its direct competitor, which can already push certain conclusions, but we should not get ahead of ourselves. If you do not go into details, then the active development and development of IPS has lasted for about twenty years, during which the system used has received many important changes, due to which its relevance still remains. “IPS” has many positive aspects and significantly exceeds other types of LCD panels in quality, for the following features:

  • “Financial Availability”. Taking into account the long history of development and formation, mass production of “IPS-matrices” has a minimum cost, allowing production of product lines in the maximum budget price segment to the user market. For example, the initial cost of “FullHD” screen fluctuates around 9-10 “evergreen” dollars. And this, by modern standards, is not just cheap, but practically “for nothing”.
  • "Color quality". For many years now, most professional monitors, which are used in their work by designers, photographers, architects, are delivered with IPS-matrix. With optimal and competent calibration, the color quality will be transmitted with maximum accuracy, including as a result of the maximum coverage of shades.

  • "Minimum power consumption". One of the key features achieved by the fact that the picture is formed by liquid crystals that consume only the minimum amount of current. A backlight tries on the main energy expenditure on itself; the brighter it is, the more resources are required to feed it. This feature allows you to maintain approximately equal power consumption, regardless of the scenario of using the gadget (web surfing, games, watching movies, etc.).
  • "Life time". The main element is liquid crystals, which are minimally subject to wear and aging. Therefore, the original brightness will not lose its quality even after several years of active use. And this is, nevertheless, running ahead, plus the “IPS” piggy bank regarding competition with AMOLED.

Of course, as in any technology, there are a number of negative points, but for the most part they are fundamental, which eliminates all attempts to correct them. There are two significant minus "IPS":

  • "Transfer black." The main advantage - liquid crystals - is also the carrier of the main minus. Liquid crystals can not completely block the light from the backlight, and taking into account the generality of the backlight for the entire matrix, the black transmission loses its depth.

The same circumstance affects the contrast, since the difference between the darkest and lightest pixel is insignificant.

  • "Response time". In fairness, it is worth noting that more time to respond to the “IPS” began to be attributed to the shortcomings of the system only a few years ago since the introduction of VR technology, as well as in the gaming industry, with an advanced graphic component.

AMOLED

So, the time has come for the main competitor. AMOLED is a modern technology used to create television displays, as well as being actively used on mobile devices and computer monitors. The work is based on the principle of using arrays of independent miniature LEDs, which implies a certain advantage over its competitor, namely:

  • "Depth and Contrast". As mentioned above, the basis of the work "AMOLED" is based on the use of independent pixels, each of which is an individual source of light and is controlled individually by the system without direct connection to other pixels. That is, roughly speaking, when displaying a black color, the pixels do not glow, and the output of tint colors is characterized by increased brightness, which creates the best contrast and depth of that same black color.
  • "Minimum response time." In contrast to the matrix type considered above, in AMOLED the response time is substantially less, which creates better picture dynamics with an optimal and extremely high frame refresh rate. That is why the data matrix demonstrates excellent picture quality in game processes.
  • "Compactness". Taking into account the fact that the layers scattered by the light of the backlight are not used in the AMOLED matrix, in their dimensions it is possible to achieve a smaller thickness, which is an extremely important element when planning the size of the gadget.

Another important point is that the independence and compactness of pixels allows using this type of matrixes in the production of not only curved (which is already actively used) monitors, but also in the production of flexible screens (which have already been presented by some global brands). Considering that AMOLED is a relatively young technology, the existing drawbacks are more significant. In fact, all the negative sides are somehow connected with one single element - with a blue LED.

  • "Fatigue". From the first days of using devices with an “AMOLED” display, many users (especially people with vision problems) say that with prolonged use of smartphones, their eyes are very tired. This circumstance is individual and requires some time to get used to.

As noted by the developers themselves, this is a consequence of the fact that with continuous illumination, blue subpixels are perceived brighter than red and green. The main thing is to find the optimal balance and adjust the PWM adjustment and the backlight brightness to the natural level of perception.

  • "Fragility." All the same blue diode, which has a slightly shorter service life than the red and green ones, which can lead to a significant distortion of color reproduction.

Regarding the issue of energy consumption, it is worth noting the approximate equality. Both versions offer reduced power consumption, only AMOLED has an advantage when showing dark tones, and IPS is more preferable when showing light ones.

Conclusion

Is it possible to make a specific conclusion about which type is better? Definitely the answer is no! Significant disadvantages are present in both technologies, in approximately equal proportions. Only one conclusion can be made - “IPS” offers greater stability due to the long history of development, and “AMOLED” is the technology of the future, on which the further development of electronic gadgets will be built.