In this blog post, we’ll compare the technical differences and pros and cons of AMOLED and IPS displays, analyzing which display is superior from various perspectives.
Samsung Display and LG Display are both performing successfully in North America, the world’s largest market, and possess outstanding display technology. Notably, LG Display boasts such high technological prowess that it supplies IPS displays to Apple’s iPhones, despite Apple currently being involved in multiple lawsuits with Samsung Electronics. Samsung and LG each use ‘AMOLED’ displays and ‘IPS’ displays in mobile devices, showcasing distinct characteristics. LG Electronics advertises that IPS displays are superior to AMOLED displays. Is LG Electronics’ claim accurate? Let’s examine the characteristics of IPS and AMOLED and compare them.
First, let’s briefly understand how IPS and AMOLED displays operate. IPS (In-Plane Switching) is a type of Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD), commonly known as LCD. Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display), where light from a backlight behind the display is used, and an electric current is applied to change the display’s arrangement to express colors. In contrast, AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) is an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode, widely known through Samsung Electronics’ advertising under the name ‘AMOLED’. AMOLED does not use a backlight; instead, each pixel emits its own light to display colors.
First, let’s compare IPS and AMOLED displays in terms of power consumption. When the screen contains a lot of black, the AMOLED display consumes less power; when it contains a lot of white, the IPS display consumes less power. This difference stems from their distinct methods of light expression. IPS displays maintain nearly constant power consumption because a fixed backlight illuminates the screen regardless of the content. Conversely, AMOLED displays consume less power when displaying black since the LEDs do not emit light, but consume more power when displaying white because all LEDs emit light. In typical smartphone usage scenarios, where white content predominates, IPS displays are superior to AMOLED in terms of power consumption.
Next is the difference between RGB and PenTile pixel arrangement. Fundamentally, red, blue, and green light are needed to express color. In AMOLED displays, the lifespan of the red, blue, and green LEDs differs. The blue LED lifespan is notably shorter than the other two. To address this lifespan issue, AMOLED uses the PenTile arrangement, which increases the size of the red and blue LEDs, instead of the traditional RGB method. While the pentile arrangement extends lifespan, it reduces the effective pixel count, resulting in lower readability compared to IPS displays. Additionally, the pentile pattern causes red and blue colors to appear exaggerated, giving the entire display a bluish tint. Conversely, IPS displays use the RGB method, providing more natural color reproduction.
Next, let’s compare burn-in phenomena. Burn-in is a phenomenon particularly common in AMOLED displays, where the shorter lifespan of blue LEDs causes residual images or stains to appear on the display over time. IPS displays rarely experience this issue. Since burn-in directly impacts display lifespan, IPS is superior to AMOLED in this aspect as well.
Brightness is another area where IPS outperforms AMOLED. To increase AMOLED brightness, the brightness of every individual LED must be raised, but due to burn-in concerns and lifespan limitations, AMOLED’s maximum brightness is lower than that of IPS displays. Conversely, IPS can easily increase brightness simply by boosting the backlight’s intensity. Consequently, IPS appears brighter than AMOLED outdoors.
Next, let’s examine the difference in color reproduction. While color preferences vary by individual, a display’s ability to express colors close to nature can serve as a benchmark. AMOLED offers exaggerated colors with a color gamut of 130%, but this differs from realistic colors. For example, on AMOLED, the grass on a soccer field is rendered in a fluorescent green rarely seen in nature. In contrast, IPS provides colors closer to nature. This is similar to how audio equipment prioritizes HI-FI tendencies that faithfully reproduce the original sound as the highest standard. IPS’s color rendering can be considered more natural and superior compared to AMOLED.
Let’s also compare viewing angles. Theoretically, AMOLED has superior viewing angles compared to IPS. However, AMOLED has the drawback of displaying a bluish tint as the viewing angle widens. IPS provides relatively stable viewing angles with minimal color shift even when viewed at an angle.
AMOLED display’s LED technology is technically more advanced than LCD, offering advantages like fast response times and infinite contrast ratios. Additionally, the absence of a backlight allows for thinner displays. However, IPS is a mature technology that has already reached the pinnacle of LCD technology, while AMOLED is still an evolving technology. Currently, most AMOLED display production is handled by Samsung Electronics, though LG Electronics is also developing the technology. As AMOLED technology advances, it has the potential to replace IPS LCD in the future. However, at present, IPS’s strengths are more pronounced than those of AMOLED.
