When selecting your next monitor, TV, smartphone, or wearable technology, there are so many things to consider, and one of the primary factors of these is the quality of the viewing display. It always matters in the end, regardless of whether you consider the specific technology behind it or not. Do you know the difference between an IPS display and AMOLED? For a long time, I really didn't know anything about either of these technologies and made many of my decisions based on other features, although the end results of either technology are tailored to and benefit the consumer in many ways. There are other things to consider that contribute greatly to picture quality. Today we're going to look at IPS display vs AMOLED displays and talk about their features in detail.
There are three types of technology used in LCDs: VA, TN, and IPS. IPS technology was developed as a solution to the color and viewing angle issues that were presented with initial LCD options. An IPS (In-Plane Switching) display is a technology that was specifically developed for LCDs in which the liquid crystals inside an LCD rotate parallel ("in-plane") to the panel, which allows light to pass through them easily. This process greatly reduces any interference in the light being produced by the IPS display, and results in a far more color-accurate picture from any angle. IPS is able to display over 16 million colors. IPS displays offer brighter whites and sharper images to the person viewing them.
IPS displays offer better contrast and wider displays while preserving the color accuracy of the original picture, faster response times compared to other LCD display technologies, and easier to view in sunlight. iPhones use IPS LCD displays, which are considered to be superior for original color and visibility in direct sunlight. An IPS display is preferred for photography and other fields where accurate color precision is required.
An AMOLED or Super AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) is a display in which the individual pixels are lit separately, and the organic material compounds in the display emit light when an electric current passes through them. Because each little pixel acts as an individually colored mini lightbulb on the screen and all the pixels come together in this way, an AMOLED display offers vivacity and saturation of the colors of the original picture. AMOLEDs display darker blacks due to their inherent ability to turn off portions of the screen. AMOLEDs offer a better contrast ratio than IPS displays. This technology is fantastic as it is known for far lower power consumption than IPS and provides better viewing angles than IPS. The Super AMOLED improves upon this by integrating touch sensors into the display, resulting in needing only one layer to make the display visible. Super AMOLEDs offer a more responsive screen which is thinner, and more versatile.
Due to the way Super AMOLED displays work, their screens are thinner and have more versatility than IPS displays. This is why folded or even curved screens are available from some brands (here's looking at you, Samsung). While regular AMOLED screens are more difficult to view in direct sunlight, Super AMOLED screens offer better visibility in the same environment. However, with both AMOLED types, the individual pixels degrade over time, which reduces the color saturation of the display.
Things to consider when deciding whether you want to purchase tech with either an IPS display or AMOLED vary. Both technologies utilize specialized technologies inside the screens in order to give the consumer a great color and viewing experience, and what the end consumer prefers varies based on the specifics that they desire. Both IPS and AMOLED serve the same purpose, but there are nuances to each. Both technologies are used by smartphone and smart wearables manufacturers, and many times the technology available depends on the brand. IPS displays and AMOLED both offer rich colors, although you're choosing between color accuracy and color contrast. Both technologies also offer superior viewing angles as well. Additionally, both IPS and AMOLED can be used for professional and creative tasks, such as photography, video editing, and graphic design.
Between the IPS display vs AMOLED, there are many differences to consider when selecting the technology that you want, which is why the similarities are quite limited. IPS displays are widely available and are cheaper to manufacture. They also are handy to have if you spend a lot of time in bright sunlight, whereas AMOLED displays are generally harder to look at in bright sunlight. An AMOLED does offer superior battery life, even if not fully charged. An IPS display requires more backlight to function, which results in a more power-hungry device. An AMOLED display needs to be handled with greater care than that of an IPS display, which is interesting due to the amount of people one might know that have cracked iPhone screens.
So, given what we've learned today, which one wins in the battle of IPS display vs AMOLED? Ultimately, the decision is left up to you as the consumer, because only you can identify what is the most important to you based on the information given. For some, an AMOLED with better battery life and a stronger contrast of colors will be more important, and for others, and for others, an IPS display with a clearer picture and better daytime viewing will be far more important.
For others, something with the best display suitable to the true colors of a project is more crucial. As someone who has a smartphone with an AMOLED display, I can attest to how difficult my phone is to look at in extremely bright sunlight. It is the one annoyance to me about an otherwise very satisfactory experience with my smartphone. However, I personally feel that the benefits of an AMOLED display greatly outweigh the cons. Better battery life is more important to me because I consume a lot of video media on my phone, and my AMOLED display works great in every environment except, for example, walking on a West Coast beach. For the specific device you're looking to purchase, take a look at all of the options available and decide which is right for the purpose you intend.
