Display Panel Types Extensively Explained E.g IPS, AMOLED E.t.c

There are many display suffixes and terms that are employed in the smartphone marketing aspect and the display world in general. Some which are rather confusing and might bring difficulties to the prospective buyer. Now, these panel types are unique in their own way, with each having it's own special properties and functions. Without further time leverage, let's dive into the world of display panel types and also see phones that adopt each in every category. But First, some History.

1.0: Brief History of Electronic Displays:

The beginning of electronic displays started when Karl Ferdinand, In 1897 patented the Cathode-ray
tube. Although an outstanding innovation for it's time, it was only made commercially available in 1922 or so. The earliest CRT monitors were monochrome and were used primarily in oscilloscopes (An oscilloscope is a laboratory instrument used to analyse the specific waveform of electronic signals.) and black and white televisions.

A CRT Monitor

Ferdinand would later go on to discover Electroluminescence ( Electroluminescent Displays are a type of Flat panel display created by sandwiching a layer of electroluminescent material such as GaAs between two layers of conductors. ) in 1907, which would provide the basis for LED technology(Light emitting diode) Not to mention the invention of the first LED bulb in 1961, by Robert Biard .The very next year Nick Holonyack produced the first visible light LED.

2.0 LCD (Liquid Crystal Display):

An LCD panel is a surface-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses liquid crystals as a means of light modulation. These don't emit light by themselves, hence they use a backlight or sometimes even reflectors to emit in colours or black and white(Monochrome).

In mobile phones LCD displays mostly come in the form of IPS, TN or TFT panels. let's explain them briefly.

2.1: TFT-Thin Film Transistor:

Thin film transistors are a direct improvement over the LCD's. Due to the pixel use in LCDs as a whole, each pixel is binded directly to the capacitor and transistor. this phenomena is called Active matrix. A TFT display on a smartphone screen is faster and brighter than a regular LCD screen.


2.2: IPS- In-Plane switching Display:

This in turn is an upgrade to the TFT displays.In-plane switching involves arranging and switching the orientation of the molecules of the liquid crystal (LC) layer between the glass substrates. These are employed in mobile phones and some laptops due to the accurate colour reproduction and consitent viewing angles.

It does this by using two transistors for each pixel combined with a better backlight. They are generally more power efficient than a TFT display although they are less compared to the other types of non LCD displays, Like the AMOLED.

2.3: TN-Twisted Nematic:

The difference between IPS and TN is the arrangement of the transistors and liquid crystal. The arrangement of crystals in a TN display causes something called "angular retardation" in the light because of the structure of crystals. To maximize the benefits of better light properties in the crystals, the precision of shades per color channel is upped from 6 bits (TN displays) to 8 bits (IPS displays), this again increases its manufacturing cost. TN displays have poor color reproduction due to the limited bits, and the method of "dithering" manufacturers use to overcome the 18-bit limit has its own flaws.

Fact 1: Both IPS And TN panels are just two types of TFT Displays. But IPS are the most widely employed type.

Fact 2: There's also a type of panel called a ''Super LCD'' which has just the same advantages as the Amoled. Super LCD differs from a regular LCD in that it does not have an air gap between the outer glass and the display element. 

3.0: AMOLED- Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode:

OLED describes a specific type of thin-film-display technology in which organic compounds form the electroluminescent material, and active matrix refers to the technology behind the addressing of pixels. 

OLED is an organic material that, like the name implies, emits light when a current is passed through it. Unlike LCD panels, which are back-lit, OLED displays are 'always off' unless the individual pixels are electrified.This means that OLED displays have much deeper blacks and utilize less energy when black colours are shown on the screen. However, lighter-colored pictures on AMOLED screens use even more power than an LCD screen. 

3.1: OLED Screens Amplified:

What's the difference between an OLED, AMOLED and PMOLED screen? Although they are of the same category, they have different architectures.

3.1.1: OLED:

OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. An OLED display is comprised of thin sheets ofelectroluminescent nature, the main benefit of which is they can produce their own light, and so don't require a backlight, cutting down on energy requirements.

OLED displays referred to as AMOLED displays when used on smartphones or TVs. The original PS Vita used an OLED screen. Some smartwatches and Cameras use this type of panel.

3.1.2: AMOLED:

As mentioned above, AM stands for Active Matrix, due to the fact that it uses a matrix of thin film transistors and capacitors to control the image produced by the display. These are the most common display types used on mobile phones as well as laptops and televisions.

3.1.3: P-OLED:

This stands for Plastic Organic Light Emitting Diode. The key component is a Light Emitting Diode (LED). So rather than relying on a universal backlight, each sub-pixel is capable of producing its own red, green, or blue light, or being shut-off completely. The O part in OLED stands for organic, which is the compound type that lights up when current is applied. The TFT matrix is used in a very similar way to LCD. Although this time the current is used to produce the light rather than twist the polarizing crystals. As this is an active matrix TFT, Samsung chose to call its OLED panels AMOLED.

3.1.4: PMOLED:

 This is an outdated form of an AMOLED,  which uses a passive organic matrix in contrast to the active matrix.

3.1.5: T-OLED:
 Called Transparent Organic Light Emitting Diode,These are displays with a see-through underlying layer. Although quite rare in the choice of OLED Displays employed today, they are mostly used in Smartwatches and some Cameras.

3.2: AMOLED Suffixes and Prefixes; What do they mean?:

Sometimes, smartphone developers adopt some notable iterations to the traditional standard Amoled panel. These might be for marketing purposes, or just to showcase their rather interesting revision of the panel itself. Lets explore the most common of them and check how they differ from the original.

3.2.1: Super-AMOLED:

The Samsung Galaxy S10e, With A Super Amoled Display

''Super AMOLED" is a marketing term created by device manufacturers for an AMOLED display with an integrated digitizer. the layer that detects touch is integrated into the screen, rather than overlaid on top of it. Now this can be said to be a term directly from Samsung, And it tries to make the display a bit thinner. There's one from them called the infinity display, but that's just a super AMOLED display.

Xiaomi and Huawei's AMOLED Screens are mostly called Super AMOLED, maybe due to the fact that Samsung supplies their Panels. Samsung also makes excellent screens with deep blacks and better colour reproduction.

3.2.2: Optic-AMOLED:

The term ''Optic'' came with the advent of the Oneplus 3 and 3T.  Now, some developers say that this is actually a variant of the Super AMOLED, The aim of this screen is to adjust the color tone of the display through software changes that produces a result that is near similar to what you see in Super AMOLED displays. A series of custom-engineered gamma corrections create a more natural viewing experience, while a dual-polarizing layer ensures ideal visibility, even in blinding sunlight. The end result? Deep blacks and bright whites.

3.2.3: Super AMOLED Advanced:

Super AMOLED Advanced is a term marketed by Motorola to describe a brighter display than Super AMOLED screens, but also a higher resolution, maybe like 1520 X 720. The focus of this panel is the high brightness rating, but might be a strain on the battery.

4.0: Retina Display:

A MacBook's Impressive Retina Display

Retina Display is a marketing term developed by Apple to refer to devices that employ a resolution and pixel density at 300 or more pixels per inch(PPI)that a person is unable to discern the individual pixels at a normal viewing level. Apple's Retina Display made its debut on 2011's iPhone 4S, which featured a 960x640p screen.

A 4K display might be generally around 3,840x2,160 resolution regardless of the size of the display, but the resolution of a Retina Display usually changes based on the size of the display. Which means the resolution of a Retina display is dynamic. 

4.1: Retina Display Vs 4K:

Although 4K is quite popular if not more in the realm of the best displays on the market, the Retina edges out the 4K in quite an interesting aspect. We've seen phones like the Xperia come with about 800PPI, but the Retina is based on the belief of Apple that 300PPI is enough for any user to stop discerning individual pixels. Now this aspect is called True Tone.

A 4K Laptop

Apple's newest displays for its iPad Pro line of tablets are now being labeled "True Tone" displays. The True Tone display is capable of producing DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut, which is a standard used by the music industry. The move towards "Ultra-High Definition" (UHD) in the TV industry is a move towards a wider color gamut as opposed to just increasing screen resolution like the 4K.

Another feature of Apple's True Tone display is the ability to detect ambient light and alter the shade of white shown on the screen to imitate the effect. This is similar to how a sheet of paper might look more white under shade and more yellow directly under the sun.

4.2: Retina Display Vs Super Amoled:

This is a tricky question, compared to the 4K, as there are lot's of features and advantages each has over the other. It is quite pertinent to note that Retina Displays still use LCDs while AMOLED Screens use LED.Super Retina Display tend to have a much higher resolution than AMOLED displays, While AMOLED displays provide better contrast than the retina display. The AMOLED displays may have lower legibility under direct sunlight than the retina display. AMOLED Screens are also better at conserving battery than Retina screens. But there's the occasional risk of burn in's which are more prone to AMOLED.

So that wraps up our explanation of the various panel types on the market. If you have any questions please drop a comment and we'll be happy to answer them for you.