AMOLED display: what is it?

AMOLED display
AMOLED display
AMOLED Display

AMOLED screen phones are becoming more and more popular. But what are the advantages of such a display?

It’s easy to see that AMOLED screen phones are more expensive than IPS counterparts. What is the reason for higher costs? Can you distinguish the AMOLED display from another type of screen on the fly? Why are such LCD panels rarely found outside of South Korean Samsung products? The answers to all these questions are in this article.

AMOLED screen design

Under the abbreviation AMOLED, the decoding of “Active matrix organic light-emitting diode” is hidden. This means that this matrix is ​​based on organic LEDs when active. Each pixel here lights up independently, as a result of which a separate illuminated layer is not required – this reduces the thickness of the panel, as well as reduces energy consumption.

Almost every AMOLED screen has the following structure:

  • The upper layer is cathodic ;
  • Below the organic layer with LEDs – without an air gap;
  • Below is a matrix of thin film transistors involved in diode control;
  • Then comes the anode layer ;
  • Everything lies on a substrate of silicone, metal or other material

AMOLED screen structure

The order of the AMOLED LED sub-pixels may be different. Samsung has long been using PenTile – chess (inside – blue, on the sides – two green ones, behind them – two red ones). This is the sub-pixel position that has the most positive effect on energy consumption, while PenTile is the sub-pixel order used by Samsung

AMOLED or Super AMOLED: which is better?

Samsung smartphones use Super AMOLED technology screens. What are the main differences between such displays? Initially, the prefix “Super” meant no air gap – it was a South Korean company that managed to get rid of it in 2010. But now ordinary AMOLED screens made by other companies can boast of it. Therefore, Super AMOLED is currently the marketing trick of the South Korean manufacturer. This means you can put an equal sign between AMOLED and Super AMOLED.

It should be noted that it is Samsung that produces the largest number of AMOLED panels. South Koreans have already learned how to bend their creations in every possible way (it is much easier to do without a separate layer with backlight). Make sure all AMOLED smartphones whose edges are curved are made using South Korean matrices. Apple’s eco-friendly LED screens factory will open Apple, but it will not happen until 2020.

The main advantages of AMOLED panels

The physical properties of matrices consisting of organic light-emitting diodes are such that the screen may have a small thickness . This is especially important for smart watches and fitness bracelets, whose physical dimensions should not be large.

But the most important advantage of any OLED screen (including its AMOLED variants) is its low power consumption . Each pixel of such display lights independently. It turns out that the largest energy consumption will occur when the whole screen will have a smooth white color. And if some areas should display dark colors, then they shine noticeably less, and therefore battery consumption decreases.

The darker the image on the display, the less energy is consumed.

High contrast is another undoubted advantage of such screens. This explains the same ability of pixels to independently shine. For example, under the IPS panel there is a substrate of LEDs that illuminate including black colors. This is not the case here. The differences in contrast are immediately noticeable.

Thanks to this, the image on the AMOLED screen is clearly visible even in bright sunlight . IPS technology allows you to see something on the screen in a clean day only by unscrewing the brightness of the backlight, which leads to a sharp increase in energy consumption.

AMOLED displays

As mentioned above, with ecological LEDs for “you” only Samsung. But this does not mean that this manufacturer does not sell its screens to anyone else. In particular, the 6-inch AMOLED panel belongs to the popular OnePlus 5T smartphone . The resolution of this screen is 2160 x 1080 pixels, and the width of the side frames is minimized.