We have been spending more and more time on our screens – be it our laptop displays or smartphone screens. For those purely working on completing their presentations, the screen type won’t matter. But there are display connoisseurs who can recognize display types just by peeking at it. In a nutshell, there are AMOLED and LCDs that are widely used in television, computer, and phone screens, but the sub-category has grown quite a lot.
OLED Vs AMOLED
Some panels are reserved for smartphones while some for television and computer monitor (includes laptop) screens. Every panel has its own advantages and disadvantages, but what matters is the weight of the pros a display panel has. AMOLED panels are known to suffer from burn-in, whereas LCD panels are known for good contrast, which is changing. But, if you don’t see the difference between AMOLED and OLED, this article will clear up the confusion. So, let’s dive right in!
Contents
OLED Vs AMOLED
AMOLED
OLED
How are AMOLED & OLED different from LCD Panels?
Basic Difference Between AMOLED and OLED
AMOLED
OLED
There’s also PMOLED
Which one is better?
Conclusion
AMOLED
AMOLED, or Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode, works on the same value of OLED display. This display type is used on multiple machines due to its flexibility. The display is based on an active matrix system which has a thin film transistor or TFT, that is capable of controlling every flow of each pixel. The most significant advantage of AMOLED displays is its size; there isn’t any limitation. Moreover, it consumes less power as compared to other display technologies, which results in fewer battery consumptions.
AMOLED displays have two TFTs in which one starts and stops the charging of storage capacitors while the other enables the charging of these capacitors. Many consider opting for this display technology because it is light, thin, and quite flexible. That is why AMOLED is used in smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, game consoles, laptops, digicams, and even televisions. Samsung has been a pioneer in display technologies that the world had seen since its Samsung Galaxy Note 3 flagship phone back in 2013.
When it comes to the advantages of using an AMOLED panel, there are many! I already mentioned that it could be used in a display of any size. AMOLED displays have a much faster refresh rate. This display type is preferred by various industries to use in their applications. They also offer better viewing angles than, say, IPS LCD displays. AMOLED has cons too. The major flaw of using an AMOLED display is the possibility of a screen burn-in. Over time, the quality degrades faster, as compared to other display technologies. Lastly, AMOLED displays are exponentially priced as compared to IPS LCD.
Here’s an example: ASUS launched the Zenfone 6 with an IPS display. The phone cost around $500. The new Zenfone 7 has an AMOLED display, but it costs over $900. Yes, it has the latest processor, but that alone hasn’t increased its cost.
Now that you know a bit about AMOLED displays, let’s get to learn more about OLED displays.
OLED
Organic Light Emitting Diode, or more commonly known as OLED, is a display panel that emits light only when the current is passed through it. OLED displays are known to display a view that has vibrant and rich colors. That is why most manufacturers are using it on televisions and, more importantly, laptop screens (Dell XPS, 2019).
OLED displays are much thinner and flexible than LEDs. The primary benefit of using this type of panel is its consumption process: it uses much less power while the dark colors are illuminated. Other advantages include a quick refresh rate, a superb screen viewing angle, fewer screen burn-ins, viewers can enjoy brighter whites and deeper whites – as compared to wash out black and white viewing experience. OLED displays are used in televisions, smartphones, computer monitor screens, transparent lighting, etc.
Nothing in this world is perfect, and that is also true of OLED displays. Its lifespan is short as compared to other display technologies. OLED displays are easily damaged by water. Moreover, they have some disparities in color balance.
How are AMOLED & OLED different from LCD Panels?
When it comes to display technologies, AMOLED, OLED, and LCD panels are on the top of everyone’s comparison list. AMOLED & OLED displays are known for their color options and great viewing angles that also bring out rich and vibrant looking images. Liquid Crystal Display, or LCD, consists of a matrix of liquid cells. They can become either opaque or change the color depending on the current of the electric field. This means, unlike OLED, LCD uses the entire background light to display the image. In a nutshell, OLED displays light up each pixel while LCD uses its background light.
OLED panels can switch on or off every pixel individually that helps them is displaying natural colors. LCD, on the other hand, uses a background light, as mentioned above. Background light a pixel panel block the white light behind them that creates colors. Thus, the colors are not entirely natural. Since each pixel in an OLED setting has its light, it is not as bright as compared to LCDs, which has background light provided by the lamps behind the display. On laptops, LCD displays have tremendous brightness when measured in nits, as compared to OLED displays.
Basic Difference Between AMOLED and OLED
AMOLED | OLED |
| AMOLED stands for Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode. | OLED is an acronym of Organic Light Emitting Diode. |
| AMOLED displays are more flexible than OLED displays. | OLED displays are less flexible than AMOLED displays. |
| AMOLED displays are more costly than OLED displays. | OLED displays are less costly than AMOLED displays. |
| AMOLED devices consume less power than OLED devices. | OLED devices consume more power than AMOLED devices. |
| AMOLED displays provide true color contrasts and are more vibrant. | OLED displays are darker and dull compared to AMOLEDs. |
| AMOLED has no restriction on screen size at all. | OLED supports large display technologies like TV but has a restriction on screen size. |
| In AMOLED, TFT(Thin-film transistor) is responsible for supplying power and charge the pixel. | In OLED, TFT is only responsible for supplying power to the organic light-emitting diodes. |
