When shopping for a smartphone, most of us think about the features it offers. We want to make sure it has things like a great camera, long battery life, a fast processor, and plenty of storage space. For many of us, the display is an afterthought. After all, we may assume that given how advanced phones are today, they’re going to come with good displays.
While in most cases, that’s true, and cell phone displays have come a long way since the days of LCD panels, there are some important differences depending on the phone’s manufacturer and model. If you want to get the best phone for your needs, it’s important to be aware of these. In this article, we take a look at some of the trends in smartphone displays.
High Refresh Rate Displays
High refresh rate displays operate at 90Hz, 120Hz, or even 144Hz and refresh the screen several times per second. If you’re not a gamer, you may have never paid attention to these specs when shopping for a phone. The refresh rate is important in gaming because the higher it is, the smoother and more immersive the experience will be.
With online gaming taking off across the globe, more and more people are frequenting online casinos. These virtual platforms offer a range of games, including online slots and table games. While these games aren’t as graphically demanding as many AAA titles, a phone with a high refresh rate can still improve the gaming experience. With refresh rates of 90Hz, 120Hz, or higher, these screens refresh images more frequently. That means less motion blur, making fast-paced games smoother.
It’s not just gamers who benefit from higher refresh rates; if you often stream videos on your phone, you’ll benefit from smoother playback, making your viewing experience much more enjoyable. While these types of displays used to be limited to flagship phones, things are changing, and they’ve become more common across various price points, including mid-range smartphones.
AMOLED and Beyond
If you’ve shopped for a premium smartphone recently, you probably noticed that the specs included an AMOLED display. AMOLED or Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diodes are special because they make colors more vibrant and blacks deeper. There are new developments in this space, such as LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) and microLED, which make displays even better. Phone displays with LTPO technology have dynamic refresh rates and help optimize battery life by adjusting the refresh rate based on content. MicroLED displays are brighter and more energy efficient, improving the performance of smartphones.
Foldable and Rollable Displays
One of the most talked about smartphone innovations in recent years has been foldable and rollable displays. These displays have made it possible for users to have a smartphone and tablet in one package. They’re attractive because they’re more portable than the typical tablet and can be expanded when users need a bigger display. One example is the Honor Magic V2, which features a 6.43-inch front OLED screen and a 7.92-inch inner display. Both of these displays have a 20Hz refresh rate, so there’s no change when going from folded to unfolded mode. This type of design allows users to get a tablet-like experience with the convenience and portability of a smartphone.
Under-Display Technology
If you’ve ever used a fingerprint sensor on a smartphone, you’ve experienced under-display technology at work. This technology embeds components like fingerprint sensors and cameras beneath the display, resulting in phones with more screen real estate. Most would agree that phones with under-display technology look better, too. While the earliest version of these displays faced image quality issues and slow response times, manufacturers have invested in improving these displays to balance performance and design.
