In this blog post, we will compare the technical differences and pros and cons of AMOLED and IPS displays and analyze which display is superior from various perspectives.
Samsung Display and LG Display are both successfully competing in the North American market, the world’s largest market, and possess outstanding display technology. In particular, LG Display boasts high technological capabilities, as evidenced by its supply of IPS displays to Apple, which is currently engaged in multiple lawsuits with Samsung Electronics, for its iPhones. Samsung and LG use ‘AMOLED’ displays and ‘IPS’ displays, respectively, in mobile displays, showcasing different characteristics. LG Electronics advertises that IPS displays are superior to AMOLED displays. Let’s examine the characteristics of IPS and AMOLED displays to determine whether LG Electronics’ claim is accurate.
First, let’s briefly review how IPS and AMOLED displays work. IPS (In-Plane Switching) is a type of thin-film transistor display (TFT-LCD; Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display), where light from a backlight behind the display is projected, and an electric current is applied to change the arrangement of the display to produce colors. On the other hand, AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) is an active organic light-emitting diode, widely known under the name “AMOLED” through Samsung Electronics’ advertising. AMOLED does not use a backlight; instead, each pixel emits light on its own to display colors.
First, let’s compare IPS and AMOLED displays in terms of power consumption. When the screen contains a lot of black, AMOLED displays consume less power, while IPS displays consume less power when the screen contains a lot of white. This difference is due to the way light is emitted. In IPS, a constant backlight illuminates the screen regardless of the content, resulting in nearly consistent power consumption. In contrast, AMOLED consumes less power when displaying black because the LEDs do not emit light, but consumes more power when displaying white because all LEDs emit light. In typical smartphone usage scenarios, where white is more prevalent, IPS is superior to AMOLED in terms of power consumption.
The following is the difference between RGB and pentile pixel arrangement methods. To display color, red, blue, and green light is required. In AMOLED displays, the lifespan of the red, blue, and green LEDs is different. In particular, the lifespan of the blue LED is shorter than that of the other two LEDs. To address this lifespan issue, AMOLED uses the pentile method, which increases the size of the red and blue LEDs instead of the traditional RGB method. While the pentile arrangement extends the lifespan, it reduces the actual number of pixels, resulting in lower readability compared to IPS displays. Additionally, the pentile arrangement causes red and blue colors to appear exaggerated, giving the display a bluish tint. In contrast, IPS displays use the RGB arrangement to provide more natural color reproduction.
Next, let’s compare burn-in phenomena. Burn-in is a phenomenon that occurs particularly frequently in AMOLED displays, where the shorter lifespan of blue LEDs causes residual images or stains to remain on the display over time. IPS displays rarely experience this issue. Since burn-in is directly related to display lifespan, IPS is superior to AMOLED in this aspect as well.
Brightness is another area where IPS outperforms AMOLED. To increase brightness in AMOLED, the brightness of all individual LEDs must be increased, but due to burn-in issues and lifespan limitations, the maximum brightness of AMOLED is lower than that of IPS displays. In contrast, IPS can easily increase brightness by simply increasing the brightness of the backlight. Therefore, IPS appears brighter than AMOLED in outdoor settings.
Next, let’s examine the difference in color reproduction. Color preferences may vary among individuals, but a display that accurately reproduces natural colors can serve as a benchmark for quality. AMOLED offers a color reproduction rate of 130%, providing exaggerated colors, but these colors differ from those in reality. For example, the grass on a soccer field appears as a fluorescent green that is rarely seen in nature on an AMOLED display. On the other hand, IPS provides color accuracy closer to natural colors. This is similar to the pursuit of HI-FI quality in audio equipment, where the goal is to reproduce the original sound as faithfully as possible. IPS’s color accuracy can be considered more natural and superior to AMOLED.
Let’s also compare viewing angles. Theoretically, AMOLED has a wider viewing angle than IPS. However, AMOLED has the drawback that the display turns bluish as the viewing angle widens. IPS maintains color consistency even when the viewing angle is tilted, providing a relatively stable viewing experience.
AMOLED displays use LED technology, which is technically superior to LCD, offering advantages such as 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 reached the pinnacle of LCD technology, while AMOLED is still an evolving technology. Currently, most AMOLED displays are produced by Samsung Electronics, but LG Electronics is also developing the technology. As AMOLED technology advances, it may eventually replace IPS LCDs. However, at present, the strengths of IPS outweigh those of AMOLED.
