Does the GS4 have the best phone screen? - Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I was playing around with the GS4 yesterday and the screen probably impressed me the most. I held it next to the GS3 and it was quite a bit better: sharper and brighter.
I haven't had the opportunity to look at the One yet, but I have to think the GS4 is a strong contender for the best phone screen. Of course it depends on your preference for AMOLED versus LCD; I probably prefer the former.
So to those who have been using the phone: how would you rate the screen? Do you consider it a big jump over the GS3 and how would you compare it to other phone screens, especially the One?

Strategist said:
I was playing around with the GS4 yesterday and the screen probably impressed me the most. I held it next to the GS3 and it was quite a bit better: sharper and brighter.
I haven't had the opportunity to look at the One yet, but I have to think the GS4 is a strong contender for the best phone screen. Of course it depends on your preference for AMOLED versus LCD; I probably prefer the former.
So to those who have been using the phone: how would you rate the screen? Do you consider it a big jump over the GS3 and how would you compare it to other phone screens, especially the One?
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WAY better than GS3 but trades shots with the One.
I prefer a larger screen with true blacks so I prefer the GS4's screen. If you prefer a smaller screen and colour accuracy then the One's screen would be better.

"The best" is highly subjective. For instance, if you prefer outdoor visibility, it's still nowhere near iPhone or the One. That said, I prefer (properly calibrated) AMOLEDs for the contrast ratios and superior blacks despite all the drawbacks
Personal preference, really.

I have a One, and I have had a look at the S4 display. I have to say both displays look great.

You like Amoled then this is the best, if you like LCD real colors then One is the best. Personally prefer the One display.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

It really depends on your preference. I have owned all the Galaxys, and some sony/HTC`s and i will say it is not.
There is no doubt the S4 screen is amazing, but only when it comes to colours. After using the S4 for a period of time, my eyes is starting to get tired. And thats because of the deep, saturated colours.
In the end it comes up to your personal preference. For me the Xperia Z/One is the best one. Nothing beats watching a movie on an LCD-panel.
- Sorry for bad English

While I love the screen on my GS4, I must humbly admit the SLCD3 screen in the HTC One is superior. While the blacks aren't completely black because it can't shut off pixels like AMOLED does, it's blacks are however very very impressive, color accuracy and sharpness are also more superior on the HTC One as well (the S4's Adobe RGB mode, aka (Professional photo) looks off a bit, especially on reds, so don't be fooled into thinking this option will make up for the inferior color accuracy). The only downside to the HTC One's screen, is it's only 4.7" which is a knock in my opinion as I prefer a larger screen.

Smurflin96 said:
It really depends on your preference. I have owned all the Galaxys, and some sony/HTC`s and i will say it is not.
There is no doubt the S4 screen is amazing, but only when it comes to colours. After using the S4 for a period of time, my eyes is starting to get tired. And thats because of the deep, saturated colours.
In the end it comes up to your personal preference. For me the Xperia Z/One is the best one. Nothing beats watching a movie on an LCD-panel.
- Sorry for bad English
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So use Adobe RGB mode...

No it has really bad ghosting.

One of the best. I've recently switched to "movie mode" as various professional display reviewers have noted this mode as having the most accurate colors and I've been loving it. Feels more like an LCD which I used to prefer. I was also surprised at the amount of additional detail I'm seeing in movie mode that were not present in standard (for instance, the tapatalk app icon)
You will need a day to adjust from standard mode, but once you do I'm betting the standard will be hard to look at for you.
The resolution and PPI speak for themselves, obviously.
Edit: great info here http://www.displaymate.com/Galaxy_S4_ShootOut_1.htm
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

Note 2 screen looks great. No pen tile.
my gnote2 is bigger than your puny iPhone.

The s4 screen has a wow factor since the colors pop and the blacks are inky. The One's screen is great too much IMHO, the I prefer the S4 since it is bigger and more vibrant. The One's screen is like looking at the Iphone's screen but bigger since even on the Iphone you can't see pixels so it didn't wow me as much.

Guys i just compared my s3 to also mine s4 and must say the s3 display is sharper and I see more details on it. I just run few same clips on both. Can someone confirm it.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app

Samsung displays are horrible when it's outside in bright sunlight.

If you want vibrant colours they are the best. If you want realistic I'd say the One and iPhone 5 are the best. The movie mode is very good on the S4 but it's not as well calibrated as the iPhone 5s screen. Looking in the forum the S4 has ghosting/smearing and some weird pink tint issues. AMOLED screens also are poor in daylight and can get burn in.

Now that it has an option to show accurate colors. Displaymate rate it on par with iPhone 5 which is rated as the best LCD screen they tested in a mobile phone. For me SGS4 is the best out there simply because it offers best of both worlds. There is a mode to show vibrant colors which I personally like especially when watching movies. LCD will pale in comparison next to AMOLED which can show pitch black . It is still Pentile arrangement however I tried hard looking closely as I can and men I can't see any pixels or cross hatch pattern that I can detect on SGS3. I even think that it's icons are much sharper compared to iPhone 5. Now that the Pentile weakness has been totally eliminated by ridiculous 441 pixels per inch. Is there another phone out there that can beat this in terms of display?
From Displayemate which is world renowned for display diagnostics
Comparing the Galaxy S4 with the LCD Display on the iPhone 5:
The iPhone 5 is now more than half way through its product cycle, which is important to keep in mind for our comparison. However, high-end LCDs like the iPhone 5 are a very mature and refined display technology, so other than screen size, resolution, and the Pixels Per Inch not much is likely to change in the next generation, no matter what Apple decides to do. The iPhone 5 is significantly brighter than the Galaxy S4, particularly for screens with mostly peak white backgrounds. Its color calibration is a bit better, although the Galaxy S4 has a more accurate White. The Galaxy S4 has a much bigger screen, higher resolution, higher PPI, much darker blacks, and better screen uniformity than the iPhone 5. They each have their own particular strengths and weaknesses, but if you scan our color coordinated Comparison Table below, both displays are quite good and comparable overall – so it’s currently a tie – we’ll see how they both evolve and improve in the next generation…
http://www.displaymate.com/
http://www.displaymate.com/Galaxy_S4_ShootOut_1.htm#Table

@rbiter said:
Note 2 screen looks great. No pen tile.
my gnote2 is bigger than your puny iPhone.
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With the current pentile matrix they are using and as high density as the 1080P display is, it doesn't affect the quality of the display.
Pentile really is no longer a useable arguement.

Seriously guys, calibration is not an issue. As long as you can get rid of that blue tint, I'm sure you'll get Perseus kernel with top calibration. I do on my Note II and it's absolutely perfect, if not better. Properly calibrated, AMOLEDs have an advantage when it comes to the contrast ratios.
Brightness still sucks though.

I've alway thought Samsung screens always looked too blueish and not so true to life. HTC always seems to get it right when it comes to screens. Just my opinion.
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE using xda app-developers app

The ones slcd is superior to the sgs4... Yes the colors are more vibrant and black is real black... But there are too much downsides in my opinion:
- White just doenst look white - ok and full brightness, but not below that
- Loss of detail in dark areas
- Low brightness on automode (even on +5)
- Low brightness on maximum brightness (the ones slcd is superior in sunlight)
- Burn-In
- Pentile - still visible for me
- Smearing / ghosting
- power consumption on browsing
- red black (fixed?!)

Related

Screens: LCD vs AMOLED

The one thing I wish the EVO had going for it is an AMOLED screen. I'm coming from a Nexus one with said screen, and it's gorgeous. Almost useless in direct sunlight, but gorgeous. Now their was an early Sprint ?Coming Soon site claiming the phone had an AMOLED screen http://www.androidguys.com/2010/03/28/sprints-htc-evo-4git-sizzles/ ---but this was prob an error. My question is: is their a huge, noticeable, difference in the two types of screens? EVO owners, give me your opinions!
thefoss said:
The one thing I wish the EVO had going for it is an AMOLED screen. I'm coming from a Nexus one with said screen, and it's gorgeous. Almost useless in direct sunlight, but gorgeous. Now their was an early Sprint ?Coming Soon site claiming the phone had an AMOLED screen http://www.androidguys.com/2010/03/28/sprints-htc-evo-4git-sizzles/ ---but this was prob an error. My question is: is their a huge, noticeable, difference in the two types of screens? EVO owners, give me your opinions!
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Just had a live evo in my hands, and the screen is a beaut. I wouldnt worry about it not being AMOLED at all.
The screen is really a great screen.
I really don't notice much of a difference in colors / contrast / etc when compared to the ZuneHD, maybe it's the higher resolution / size that makes it look just as good.
meh, on the whole, AMOLED is all hype no show
AMOLED is trash I have a Nexus and an Evo and in direct sunlight my EVO is noticeable, AMOLED drains battery, LCD saves, colors are sharper but not brighter on AMOLED, brightness all the way up they both match up but the nexus(AMOLED) has a sharper scene
all in all not a big differ and Evo screen (IMO) has a better screen
1- colors are the same but sharper in AMOLED
2- direct sunlight LCD wins
3- colors are both bright
4- LCD battery saver
just a few details!
I thought that the amoled was more efficient.. so better than lcd
????
Sent from my HERO200 using Tapatalk
Dan330 said:
I thought that the amoled was more efficient.. so better than lcd
????
Sent from my HERO200 using Tapatalk
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its not, uses more battery
Phone Scoop comparesEvo screen to Nexus One Amoled
See below for review comparing the Evo screen to the Nexus One Amoled
Here is the link to the full article.
http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=373&p=2666
Screen
The screen on the HTC Evo 4G was, at times, a bit disappointing. Under medium indoor light, the screen is crisp and clear. Text looks sharp and legible and the dark, contrasty interface looks polished. Outside, the Evo 4G couldn't hold up to bright daylight. This made it tough to use for normal email and calling tasks, and nearly impossible to use the camera, since you have to tap an onscreen button to take a shot. In almost every way, the screen fared better than the AMOLED display on the smaller Nexus One. It was a bit brighter with warmer colors and much better outdoor performance. But it could still stand some improvement.
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SoFarGone said:
its not, uses more battery
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Incorrect, AMOLED has no back light and consumes roughly the same power that a TFT LCD uses just on the TFT portion of the screen. The TFT Portion of a Active Matrix OLED screen controls light on a PerPixel basis, illuminating each OLED pixel at whatever color is required vs LCD where the current is constantly on(except in a pure 0 0 0 black pixel) and controlling the Liquid Crystal portion rotating the LC to whatever degree to allow the backlight(A large % of the consumption) to shine through at a given color. And because of AMOLEDs aforementioned lack of back light it uses significantly less power.
I'm also confused as to what you mean by "color sharpness" Are you talking about the actual edge sharpness of an image or the color reproduction.
In which case the color reproduction on a AMOLED is more SATURATED not specifically more accurate, though the increased saturation makes the image appear better on average because most people enjoy over saturated images. The contrast ratio, which is the ratio of black to white, e.g. when a TV says it has a 3,500:1 contrast ratio then the luminance of a pure white pixel 255,255,255 is 3,500 times higher than that of a pure black 0,0,0 pixel. AMOLED displayes typically have a much higher contrast ratio due to the lack of a back light and the fact they can produce much "deeper" black pixels.
AMOLED actually bugs me, not only are they useless in direct sunlight(which I find myself under quite often) but it feels like colors are often OVER saturated, like the reds and oranges on my friend's Incredible look awful while I've never had that with my Hero, some colors on mine might be washed out but I'd rather have that than have a giant hodgepodge of colors on an AMOLED.
Another thing to consider is AMOLEDs "burn in". That means that pixels that do not change on the screen for a long time tend to burn in and show permanent shadows. This happens on the status bar a lot since it is nearly always displayed and unchanging.
Here is a thread of NexusOne owners documenting it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=673513
As of last week I just switch over from At&t to Sprint wireless. I had two lines on my contract, wifey with the Samsung Moment and myself with the HTC Hero just to hold me off until the Evo release.
From what I thought isn't the Samsung Moment screen also uses the Amoled technology and the Hero is LCD?
Side by side comparison from low brightness to 100 percent, the Hero display looks so much better quality wise compare to the Moment. Hero seem more saturated and crisp whereas the Moment IMO seem much more dulled. Especially in the setting menu with the black background, the Moment is kind of like greenish black whereas the Hero is spot on black. Outside I'm having a very difficulty time navigating around Moment (brightness all the way up) whereas the Hero is still manageable.
By any mean I'm no expert in this display stuff but this is just my own little comparison of what I've seen between the two display.
Anyone know if the Evo screen is transreflective? A related question would be, is it even possible for AMOLED to be transreflective?
I compared my Evo screen with my old Hero screen and the Hero was a little brighter and with darker blacks. Even between LCDs there are differences.

Screen?

Coming from a Galaxy Nexus, my main concern is - How are the black levels gonna be? I absolutely LOVE SuperAMOLED - Mainly, the blacks - I LOVE THEM and I'm sure many other users do. I don't know if the LG's black levels are gonna be as good or better? Does anything know that?
I have a choice to jump from the Gnex to the Nex4 but if the screen's black levels aren't as good - I probably won't.
What's your opinion about the screen?
Go look at a One X, it'll be similar to that (which is SO much better than the GNex screen - IPS ftw!!)
Yeah but the black levels
It definitely won't be as good. The question is, will it be good enough.
The apparent high end screen on my laptop has a rubbish black level. So I'm also hoping the Nexus 10 has good blacks, so I can use that for media instead.
But did you look at the Htc One X screen, or atleast youtube it?
Sent from my R800x
Yeah I've used the One X a lot of times and I'm not impressed at all. The color reproduction is good but the black levels don't amaze me, at all. I feel that my nexus' screen is much better than the OneX (Just my opinion, don't pounce on me)
With AMOLED, the blacks are black because the led's are switched off, it doesn't try make the colour "Black".
LCD screens do not do this. So blacks will be grey, but colours and viewing angles WILL be better. Another thing, AMOLED is a battery drain with anything other than the colour black.
OLED screens will always have darker blacks than LCDs. That's just due to the nature of how each type of screen technology works.
I very much know how AMOLED works. Guess the blacks won't be that good on the Nex4. :| Hard decision to make now :\
arzbhatia said:
I very much know how AMOLED works. Guess the blacks won't be that good on the Nex4. :| Hard decision to make now :\
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But your question meant that you don't. If you know this, then you should know about LCD too...
arzbhatia said:
I very much know how AMOLED works. Guess the blacks won't be that good on the Nex4. :| Hard decision to make now :\
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They will probably be as good as any IPS LCD on the market. LG makes very good smartphone displays, including iPhone 4/4S/5 displays.
Just look at the present ips screen on the LG top model phones, i'm sure the nexus 4 will be similar.
The blacks will not be the same as others mentioned but it's a tradeoff. Super amoleds have good contrast and blacks but the ips lcd's I've seen had better color accuracy and sharper images. I like amoleds but the whites and other colors aren't that good and the brightness isn't high enough for my taste. I look forward to seeing the n4 up close
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
I have mixed feelings as well regarding the screen of the new Nexus 4. I also own a Galaxy Nexus, and aside from the black levels, there is another area where the AMOLED screens shine: motion handling. LCDs tend to blur images in fast motion, motion resolution isn't usually very good. This is very noticeable when watching action films or sports, for example.
However, AMOLED screens are very fast thus their motion handling is on par (or even better than) with plasmas, which gives you crisp and clear images even when moving (blur ocurring depending on the shooting conditions but that's a whole different story).
So, to summarize the differences between the screens:
- The screen of the Nexus 4 will be slightly clearer, the pentile matrix used in the AMOLED screen makes it slightly more "blurry", although due to its high pixel density that's usually hard to see.
- The screen of the Galaxy Nexus has perfect blacks, the screen of the Nexus 4 doesn't. The point is, will its blacks be "black enough" even for multimedia? "Black enough" is very subjective...
- The screen of the Nexus 4 will probably handle motion worse than the Galaxy Nexus one. The point again will be if it handles motion well enough.
It seems that the screen of the Nexus 4 is slightly better for reading and web browsing but slightly worse for multimedia. I only have a Galaxy Nexus (no access to HTC One X, etc) so anyway I can't really compare.
Well it all depend on taste. I think the IPS screen for me will be better for contents consumption. Text clarity is a very important factor for phones and RGB array IPS excel here. Better color accuracy is the most important factor for me, without the banding, retention and dark spots that I deal with on AMOLED. I only fear of the chance of backlight leakage that can happen with regular LCD.
I know the response time of the OLED screen have very fast, but I don't do heavy gaming on small mobile devices. It also have ultra wide angle view and wider color gamut (poorly tuned however). I also like its performance outdoor and contrast. But it can be s battery eater.
Also I missed the curved glass of the AMOLED screen, before anyone say the Nexus 4 screen is curved, by what I see from the verge video it isn't, only the external glass seems to be and just a little by the edge, not the same effect.
Sent from my LG Nexus 4 32GB
eksasol said:
Well it all depend on taste. I think the IPS screen for me will be better for contents consumption. Text clarity is a very important factor for phones and RGB array IPS excel here. Better color accuracy is the most important factor for me, without the banding, retention and dark spots that I deal with on AMOLED. I only fear of the chance of backlight leakage that can happen with regular LCD.
I know the response time of the OLED screen have very fast, but I don't do heavy gaming on small mobile devices. It also have ultra wide angle view and wider color gamut (poorly tuned however). I also like its performance outdoor and contrast. But it can be s battery eater.
Also I missed the curved glass of the AMOLED screen, before anyone say the Nexus 4 screen is curved, by what I see from the verge video it isn't, only the external glass seems to be and just a little by the edge, not the same effect.
Sent from my LG Nexus 4 32GB
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The Nexus 4 will have better viewing angles than the AMOLED.
Sunlight will probably be better too. Colours will be more realistic, and battery life will be lower apart from on a black screen.
I don't like the oversaturated colors of amoled screens, and true colors are important in my work, so I much prefer a good IPS screen. Too bad about the blacks though.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I hope the Nexus 4 display will be better. On my Gnex whenever I watch videos with dark scenes or blackground, I get this noise/artifact thing in the background. Do you guys get that? Also, black is technically not completely black on the Gnex because the pixels do light up a little for faster switching. There are a few threads in the Gnex forum that talk about that. It is only noticeable when there is very little or no ambient light. You can test it by going to a dark room and open an image that is completely black. You will see some dim light coming out from the AMOLED.
I would have to say my biggest concern is how the screen will perform in the direct sunlight. Of the phones I've had the gnex does best in direct sunlight. Very easily readable and use able in direct sunlight. All my other phones have been washed out in the sun. They where some form of lcd's, but not any of the newer generation super performing lcd's that are out now. The HTC Rezound I had was the best LCD screen I've owned. Amazing picture but suffered in the sun.
NexusDro said:
I hope the Nexus 4 display will be better. On my Gnex whenever I watch videos with dark scenes or blackground, I get this noise/artifact thing in the background. Do you guys get that? Also, black is technically not completely black on the Gnex because the pixels do light up a little for faster switching. There are a few threads in the Gnex forum that talk about that. It is only noticeable when there is very little or no ambient light. You can test it by going to a dark room and open an image that is completely black. You will see some dim light coming out from the AMOLED.
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I think that's either black crush like the original note had or the black spots which nearly all amoled screens get because of the way they are produced.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Q] is the screen on the nexus 4 better than the one on the gnex?

i haven't seen the nexus 4 with my own eyes yet, but almost all reviewers say that the screen on the nexus 4 is wayy better than the one on the gnex, i still use the gnex as my primary phone, the screen is pretty amazing, especially in terms of color because amoled screen has oversaturated color, but it's not as real as lcd, my question is : is the screen on the nexus 4 really is that amazing and real? i prefer oversaturated color than natural color though, it looks "eye-catching" how about the black lvl on the nexus 4 ? lcd screen doesn't have the deep black color that amoled screen has...yes i know gnex screen is pentile, but i still can't see the pixels, unless you look really close to the display which makes your eyes hurt
if you think that im bashing nexus 4 because i don't have it, no your totally wrong, as matter of fact, if someone would give one to me, i would take it with pleasure
ReAlives said:
i haven't seen the nexus 4 with my own eyes yet, but almost all reviewers say that the screen on the nexus 4 is wayy better than the one on the gnex, i still use the gnex as my primary phone, the screen is pretty amazing, especially in terms of color because amoled screen has oversaturated color, but it's not as real as lcd, my question is : is the screen on the nexus 4 really is that amazing and real? i prefer oversaturated color than natural color though, it looks "eye-catching" how about the black lvl on the nexus 4 ? lcd screen doesn't have the deep black color that amoled screen has...yes i know gnex screen is pentile, but i still can't see the pixels, unless you look really close to the display which makes your eyes hurt
if you think that im bashing nexus 4 because i don't have it, no your totally wrong, as matter of fact, if someone would give one to me, i would take it with pleasure
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You said you like oversaturated colors better, so you'll definitely like the gnex screen better. Blacks aren't as blacks as the gnex.
Blacks look pretty good on the Nexus 4 for an LCD screen. I also like vibrant colors and while these aren't quite pop like an AMOLED display, I think they are still good.
It's hard for me to say if it's better than the Galaxy Nexus. I think I might have a problem with my Nexus 4, because I can see very fine horizontal lines on my phone, kinda like the screen door effect on a monitor. I asked about it on the general board and it got very little response, so I'm guessing it's not a common issue.
[A] It is a LCD and not an OLED with pentile matrix, so: Yes! (better = more accurate. better != more saturated)
Yes, it is. Enough said.
I like the over-saturated colours of AMOLED screens. When I went from the Desire (AMOLED) to the Incredible (LCD), I was super disappointed.
However, going from the GNex to the N4, I have to say that the screen is better. Things I've noticed:
- Yes, the blacks aren't as black. If you use it as a bedside clock (in a dock or something), you'll notice more backlight coming through
- The N4 colours are more accurate (pretty standard result compared to AMOLED), but they do have some nice punch to them - much better than a lot of LCD screens I've seen and certainly almost holding it's own compared to AMOLED.
- Comparing side by side - it became apparent that the GNex is horrible at whites. I hadn't noticed whilst owning it, but side by side, the GNex whites look yellowy. In comparison, the whites on the N4 are almost blinding. Again, I never noticed this from the Gnex whilst owning it - I was perfectly happy.
In summary, I'd say the screen is better, but the night clock greyer blacks issue might be an irritant for you. Otherwise, it's N4 all the way.
tifosi256 said:
I like the over-saturated colours of AMOLED screens. When I went from the Desire (AMOLED) to the Incredible (LCD), I was super disappointed.
However, going from the GNex to the N4, I have to say that the screen is better. Things I've noticed:
- Yes, the blacks aren't as black. If you use it as a bedside clock (in a dock or something), you'll notice more backlight coming through
- The N4 colours are more accurate (pretty standard result compared to AMOLED), but they do have some nice punch to them - much better than a lot of LCD screens I've seen and certainly almost holding it's own compared to AMOLED.
- Comparing side by side - it became apparent that the GNex is horrible at whites. I hadn't noticed whilst owning it, but side by side, the GNex whites look yellowy. In comparison, the whites on the N4 are almost blinding. Again, I never noticed this from the Gnex whilst owning it - I was perfectly happy.
In summary, I'd say the screen is better, but the night clock greyer blacks issue might be an irritant for you. Otherwise, it's N4 all the way.
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after calibrating my gnex with trinity kernel, white is very white on my gnex, i think it's just a matter of color calibration
Comparing the 2 side-by-side the N4 wins hands down. I really don't see how I put up with that GNex screen as long as I did.
Ravynmagi said:
Blacks look pretty good on the Nexus 4 for an LCD screen. I also like vibrant colors and while these aren't quite pop like an AMOLED display, I think they are still good.
It's hard for me to say if it's better than the Galaxy Nexus. I think I might have a problem with my Nexus 4, because I can see very fine horizontal lines on my phone, kinda like the screen door effect on a monitor. I asked about it on the general board and it got very little response, so I'm guessing it's not a common issue.
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I have the same issue with my Nexus 4, faint horizontal banding across the entire display. It's difficult to see on whites and blacks, but pretty much every color in-
between it's fairly obvious. It's also terrible when watching videos.
I called Google yesterday after I received the phone and they're shipping out a replacement (props to Google support, btw). It's definitely not normal, and I would urge you to call in and get a replacement sent your way ASAP. Even if you think you can "live with it", there's no guarantee that it's not indicative of a larger screen issue that might get worse.
I've loved amoled displays ever since I got my galaxy s and I've been using only amoled since then (galaxy s, s2, gnex), so I was apprehensive about whether I'd like the nexus 4 screen or not.
But after just a day of use, I can safely say I'll probably stick to LCD from now on. I never imagined I'd like the screen this much. Its one of the best things about the phone.
The whites are beautiful, the blacks are very good for an LCD and look just as black as my gnex when seen in daylight/well lit environments. In dark situations the blacks aren't as good but it doesn't matter because the display still looks gorgeous. And BTW I had trinity kernel as well. Trust me, no calibration could ever get the gnex to have whites this gorgeous.
I never had an issue with pentile before but once you use a non pentile display like this, the difference is very apparent. Its so much sharper and crisper from any distance.
And the colors just look nicer as well. Looking at my dads gnex screen after this actually makes me wonder how I ever liked colors that way.
Another reason the nexus 4 screen looks so beautiful is because gradients are actually smooth. After years of looking at amoled gradients, this is a huge and welcome change.
And its great having the screen so much closer to the surface of the glass.
The only downside to the nexus 4 screen are the viewing angles. Definitely not as nice as the gnex. I can't lie down and look at my screen diagonally anymore :/ The one x doesn't have this issue so I guess its LGs fault and not an LCD related problem.
All in all, you won't regret it. No matter how much you've loved amoled. You'll finally understand what all the hype around LCDs is about. And they were right.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Nexus 4 screen appears more upscale compared to GNex. The text looks more precise. Photos look more realistic. Color reproduction is much more accurate vs GNex and there is no infamous purple tint.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Oh man that god awful purple tint:crying:
The Nexus 4 is the first Nexus phone with a good screen, in my opinion. Tossing AMOLED and PenTile to the curb was the best decision Google's made since buying Android. Visibility in daylight is somewhat better but still not great. The color isn't as eye-popping, which is a good thing; AMOLED is obnoxious to look at. As for the black levels, IIRC AnandTech did a comparison and found that Nexus 4 has the best contrast ratio and best black level of any LCD-based smartphone, which sounds about right to me. Black levels are IMHO very close to AMOLED. To get these black levels though it appears they had to sacrifice peak brightness, where Nexus 4 is only average. White balance and color calibration is decent, though not iDevice-good. Pixel response speed is noticeably better than GNex. Also you need not worry about uneven wear (burn-in) since LCD isn't susceptible to this. This new screen is infinitely better overall. I do graphics design work as a hobby, if that's worth anything.
The new screen is much more battery efficient as well. Last weekend, my N4 lasted for 14 hours of very heavy use before I plugged it into the charger, and of that time the screen was on for 5h44m. With the remaining 9% or so I could've made it to 6h, but it was extremely late at night and I was about to pass out from exhaustion at that point. My GNex lasted 4h at best, even under very light load.
Yesterday I used it on a road trip with about 2 hours of screen-on + navigation + music streaming, plus another hour of regular use. In total it lasted 7h24m before ithe battery reached critical and I plugged it in. Coming from a GNex, that's phenomenal. I would be lucky to get 2 hours of navigation alone.
The speed its HSPA connection is great! I hit 13 mbps yesterday, about 3x faster than I ever got on my GNex. The device itself, needless to say, is as fast as it gets. This is very cutting-edge hardware and Android post-4.1 is a beast.
This is by far the best device I've owned. The glass back was an odd choice and the lack of USB Host is disappointing, but those are the only two faults I can come up with. If it was more expensive I'd fault it for having only 16 GB of storage, but with the price considered, it's adequate. Hopefully the USB Host issue will be addressed by some clever developers somehow, but it's probably unlikely.

Would you have prefered the Nexus 6 to have an AMOLED or LCD display?

I've been doing a bit of research about these different types of displays. After using a couple of IPS displays and comparing them side-by-side to AMOLED displays, I'm beginning to have a different perspective. IPS just looks stunning. Not to say AMOLED looks bad or anything, but in the past I was more inclined towards AMOLED. As someone who has experienced burn-ins with previous AMOLED displays, I can say that it really does suck.
IPS displays are generally better for outdoor viewing, are brighter (usually), have better viewing angles, more realistic colors and don't burn in. On the other hand, AMOLED displays have colors that "pop", have very deep blacks, and don't require a backlight.
Hell, go to your local carrier store/Target/Best Buy/whatever sells electronics and take a look at the Samsung phones like the S5 and phones with IPS displays. Every AMOLED display I saw in stores had a tremendous burn-in. I wish I could have taken pictures but I didn't have my phone with me at the time. Granted, the phones on display are turned on all day and are usually stuck on one image as long as they are display phones which leads to the rapid burn ins. But the fact still stands.
As you guys know, the Nexus 6 is going to have an AMOLED display. Now, this isn't real research or anything but there is something that I have noticed when I look over all of the hands on pictures from sites like TheVerge, TechCrunch, etc. The Nexus 6's display isn't the brightest dip=splay out there. Actually, it looks pretty dim. Of course there aren't real reviews yet but this is just speculation on my part.
What do you guys think? Are the trade-offs worth it? For those that do own phones with AMOLED displays, have you had burn in on your screen? How long do you guys think the Nexus 6 can last before it potentially burns in?
My sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DChnGXLErrI
http://www.androidauthority.com/amoled-vs-lcd-282084/
Amoled
I personally like OLED, but mostly for the contrast. My question though is if the Nexus 6 will have a Pentile or RGB subpixel layout. I hate Pentile. Also, brightness is not the biggest factor in sinlight readability, its reflectivity that matters. Many OLED screens have low reflectivity, so the sun isnt bouning into your eyes and making the display look dim. And i have heard that higher pixel densities burn in less, but that is not something i have seen proof of.
Amoled if its same tech like on the Note 4 (same generation) IPS if it was high quality one like on the iPhone 6.
I prefer IPS LCD because I've tried my fair share of Samsung AMOLED devices and all of them have greenish-yellow tints and grainy colors. Not to even mention the pathetic brightness levels.
I would've preferred a well calibrated 1080p IPS LCD. It'd easily look as sharp as the 1440p Pentile AMOLED, while at the same time improving battery life and GPU performance.
Amoled for me. I really like the colors and viewing angles of it. Not to mention the low power emission and active display compability. No lightbleeding issues,too.
After using an IPS display for ages now with my N4 I would love to use an AMOLED display where colours did not seem so washed out and true blacks can be had (which since darker colours are easier on my eyes I prefer it).
The only worry I have is Burn In, but if I have heard correctly a lot of Burn In issues have been resolved with later devices. I really hope this is true.
I prefer Amoled as the ips tech I dealt with had issues with light bleed & other weird anomalies
Ips is way better.
Sent from my One A0001
Yes, the only reason I'd pass is the fact that it's an OLED display. I always get burn in, I told myself never again but I will be buying the N6.
It depends of the display's generation and calibration.
If it's on par with the AMOLED screen of the Note 4, I prefer AMOLED screen.
But an IPS Display as good as the one used in the iPhone 6 plus is better than every older AMOLED screen.
alex989898 said:
It depends of the display's generation and calibration.
If it's on par with the AMOLED screen of the Note 4, I prefer AMOLED screen.
But an IPS Display as good as the one used in the iPhone 6 plus is better than every older AMOLED screen.
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nexus 6 is amoled and the note 4 is super amoled..huge difference
hello00 said:
nexus 6 is amoled and the note 4 is super amoled..huge difference
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Click to collapse
I don't know if other manufacturers have the right to use the terms "Super AMOLED" or if it's patented by Samsung.
alex989898 said:
I don't know if other manufacturers have the right to use the terms "Super AMOLED" or if it's patented by Samsung.
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Click to collapse
i think if u compare the note 4's screen with the s5 you will see the difference
I definitely prefer IPS, but I've really been wanting that Ambient Display. Can't have both, so to me the best compromise is AMOLED, paired with an LCD wearable. I'll have that with my N6 and 360.
Great topic, especially considering the screen is what we all look at every single time we use our phone. This is definitely a "preference" thing.
I've had a few phones (both newer and older display techs) and I know for myself, a photography enthusiast, I prefer color correctness and white whites over "true blacks" ON MY PHONE. I watch my Panasonic Plasma TV for true blacks (and even those aren't 100% true).
AMOLED's (pre GS5 & Note4 and I've yet to view either) burn-in and have image retention and their whites are beyond horrible. Of course most wouldn't even notice this until they put their phone right next to a IPS LCD. You can always "get used to" or "learn to like" the screen your viewing. Until you put it next to something else. Even then a lot of us will believe the one we have is the best. All comes back to personal preference
hello00 said:
i think if u compare the note 4's screen with the s5 you will see the difference
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Click to collapse
I think both are marketed as "Super AMOLED" no ? (But I know that the screen of the Note 4 is better)
But that's not my point. My point is that even if Google comes with the same screen as the Galaxy Note 4, I'm not sure that they can use the terms "Super AMOLED" (exactly like you can't use the term "Retina" if you are not Apple).
What's it look like when the screen burns in? Is that when it leaves like a shadow of something like an app you used in the background no matter what? Because my friends s3 has snap chat burned into the background.
Does this happen with all amoled screens? And if it does will warranty exchange it? Because I use my phone a lot and don't want to risk something like this. I. have lots of friends with the s4 and s5 and none have this issue. The only one who has it is with his really old s3.
I don't really care about true whites and deep black's or whatever. When I had the nexus 5 it looked yellow but with my g2 it's really nice. It doesn't matter though because I don't notice it unless I compare it to another phone. And I really like how the colors look on the Samsung Galaxy s tablet so if Motorola's amoled screen is anything like that I'll love the colors. And I like that theres no back light to cause light bleed like in the nexus 5 and nexus 10 (notorious for it).
But I'm gonna do some research on amoled now and see what I find out. I really hope the newer phones like this especially at this price don't have issues
Sent from my LG-VS980
abdel12345 said:
What's it look like when the screen burns in? Is that when it leaves like a shadow of something like an app you used in the background no matter what? Because my friends s3 has snap chat burned into the background.
Does this happen with all amoled screens? And if it does will warranty exchange it? Because I use my phone a lot and don't want to risk something like this. I. have lots of friends with the s4 and s5 and none have this issue. The only one who has it is with his really old s3.
I don't really care about true whites and deep black's or whatever. When I had the nexus 5 it looked yellow but with my g2 it's really nice. It doesn't matter though because I don't notice it unless I compare it to another phone. And I really like how the colors look on the Samsung Galaxy s tablet so if Motorola's amoled screen is anything like that I'll love the colors. And I like that theres no back light to cause light bleed like in the nexus 5 and nexus 10 (notorious for it).
But I'm gonna do some research on amoled now and see what I find out. I really hope the newer phones like this especially at this price don't have issues
Sent from my LG-VS980
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It happen only on older phones. Both my S2 and S3 have burn-in issues (keyboard and notification bar are burn-in on both) but my GS4 GPe is fine.
But the Tab S use a recent gen of AMOLED and are very well calibrated. Motorola's smartphones never use the latest AMOLED screens (it seems that Samsung doesn't sell them)
I want black to be black and no light bleed..
Note 4 seems to be an extremly good display that can have really correct colors.
And high brightness... Hope Nexus 6 have just as good display..
my Note 2 have notification bar burn in..
Sorry for my bad english.
Amoled display is the best I ever seen, so glad that on nexus 6 I will finally have it.
True black, the highest view angles, more colors.

Anyone else want Samsung to go with high quality LCDs instead?

After comparing my Galaxy S6 AMOLED display to an iPhone 6 and an LG G4, the whites on AMOLED just look horrible with AMOLED. Samsung has made tremendous improvements to Super AMOLED technology in a few short years, since the S2/S3 era. Whites look brighter and more accurate, but they still can't touch LCD.
It would be nice to see Samsung go with a cutting-edge quantum dots LCD, we could have brighter whites and still save energy consumption. Due to the inefficiency with the technology to display whites, I doubt we'll ever see them look as LCDs with their back lights.
AMOLED screens don't achieve the best on-screen times either due to most content on the Internet having very high APL. Most of the Internet and UI interface has bright colors and white backgrounds too. Until Samsung can put more development breakthroughs with AMOLED or develop the more brighter and energy efficient QLEDs, I would love to see a high quality LCD with all the same profile calibrations Samsung offers for their OLED screens.
megagodx said:
After comparing my Galaxy S6 AMOLED display to an iPhone 6 and an LG G4, the whites on AMOLED just look horrible with AMOLED. Samsung has made tremendous improvements to Super AMOLED technology in a few short years, since the S2/S3 era. Whites look brighter and more accurate, but they still can't touch LCD.
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Click to collapse
No never. I will not ever buy LCD again, even after the moto x 2014 it became clear to me that amoled is superior. Maybe the whites are still not as good but the blacks are better (and in truth the s6 has the best color reproduction of any display) BUT amoled is functionally so much superior to LCD I would even be willing to give uo some display accurary for the added benefits of amoled (ambient/active display, no power consumption for pure blacks)
No LCD
Sent from my SM-G920T using XDA Free mobile app
X2 for no way. Amoled has those awesome blacks and better contrast. But also, amoled can save battery by using black, dark themes etc since the pixels aren't on when displaying black. That's such a great advantage. Whites look perfectly fine to me too. I see no issue there.
Sent from my SM-G920T using XDA Free mobile app
benjmiester said:
X2 for no way. Amoled has those awesome blacks and better contrast. But also, amoled can save battery by using black, dark themes etc since the pixels aren't on when displaying black. That's such a great advantage. Whites look perfectly fine to me too. I see no issue there.
Sent from my SM-G920T using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
godutch said:
No never. I will not ever buy LCD again, even after the moto x 2014 it became clear to me that amoled is superior. Maybe the whites are still not as good but the blacks are better (and in truth the s6 has the best color reproduction of any display) BUT amoled is functionally so much superior to LCD I would even be willing to give uo some display accurary for the added benefits of amoled (ambient/active display, no power consumption for pure blacks)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you're going to run your display in negative mode most of the time, most of the content you display isn't going to be black. That's not the design ethos most websites and UIs use. Besides, bad blacks are only noticeable in the dark. Poor whites are noticeable in all types of environments. The color reproduction might be good on Samsung's Super AMOLED displays [not other AMOLED displays] but everything else about them is seemingly underdeveloped. Contrast viewing angles has never been a major selling point for me or a particularly useful additive, high-quality IPS LCDs have proven to be good enough.
LCDs are just better at the moment. Samsung's Super AMOLED technology [again, forget the inferior AMOLED panels used by other manufacturers] is a few years away still from surpassing top-end LCDs. They have the potential though. Just don't see it happening this year. While LG's G4 isn't that great of an LCD, it's a good example of how blacks can be made acceptable on LCDs with quantum dots technology.
megagodx said:
Unless you're going to run your display in negative mode most of the time, most of the content you display isn't going to be black. That's not the design ethos most websites and UIs use. Besides, bad blacks are only noticeable in the dark. Poor whites are noticeable in all types of environments. The color reproduction might be good on Samsung's Super AMOLED displays [not other AMOLED displays] but everything else about them is seemingly underdeveloped. Contrast viewing angles has never been a major selling point for me or a particularly useful additive, high-quality IPS LCDs have proven to be good enough.
LCDs are just better at the moment. Samsung's Super AMOLED technology [again, forget the inferior AMOLED panels used by other manufacturers] is a few years away still from surpassing top-end LCDs. They have the potential though. Just don't see it happening this year. While LG's G4 isn't that great of an LCD, it's a good example of how blacks can be made acceptable on LCDs with quantum dots technology.
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Click to collapse
Lol, that's funny. How about black wallpaper, lock screen, black theme, black browser theme, I use Voxer all day for work in a dark theme. So yeah, there's tons of places to utilize that. Not to mention amoled uses less power already as is and the newest amoled is super color accurate. There's basically no advantages to LCD anymore. You're crazy, but if that's what you want, buy one. Just don't expect support for it here, where everyone would much rather have amoled. You're not converting anybody (what seems like you're trying to do).
Sent from my SM-G920T using XDA Free mobile app
Hey op go get an iPhone for that lcd, you'll be back trust me I know ....
benjmiester said:
Lol, that's funny. How about black wallpaper, lock screen, black theme, black browser theme, I use Voxer all day for work in a dark theme. So yeah, there's tons of places to utilize that. Not to mention amoled uses less power already as is and the newest amoled is super color accurate. There's basically no advantages to LCD anymore. You're crazy, but if that's what you want, buy one. Just don't expect support for it here, where everyone would much rather have amoled. You're not converting anybody (what seems like you're trying to do).
Sent from my SM-G920T using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All I heard from you was "blah blah blah, I like AMOLED so I don't care blah blah blah" - not exactly a good argument. Not everyone wants to use a dull and boring dark themes that consist of black. People have different ideas of creativity and most people like to use wallpapers and backgrounds that have regular colors that have bright backgrounds. AMOLEDs do NOT use less power unless content is not above 65% APL. Most web pages and UIs out of the box have 70-80% APL with all the whites and other colors that AMOLEDs aren't efficient with [such as blues] - If Samsung pours in a couple more billion in R&D, Super AMOLED technology might be prime to surpass the current advancements in LCDs. For now, I think and would prefer if they put in a class-leading LCD panel in the S7 and Note 6 for 2016 with display calibration profiles, at least until they iron out their OLED limitations and inefficiencies.
megagodx said:
All I heard from you was "blah blah blah, I like AMOLED so I don't care blah blah blah" - not exactly a good argument. Not everyone wants to use a dull and boring dark themes that consist of black. People have different ideas of creativity and most people like to use wallpapers and backgrounds that have regular colors that have bright backgrounds. AMOLEDs do NOT use less power unless content is not above 65% APL. Most web pages and UIs out of the box have 70-80% APL with all the whites and other colors that AMOLEDs aren't efficient with [such as blues] - If Samsung pours in a couple more billion in R&D, Super AMOLED technology might be prime to surpass the current advancements in LCDs. For now, I think and would prefer if they put in a class-leading LCD panel in the S7 and Note 6 for 2016 with display calibration profiles, at least until they iron out their OLED limitations and inefficiencies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're kidding right? That literally went the opposite way... I made a perfectly valid fact based response, and you completely ignored/tried to discredit all of the reasons I stated.
And nobody is making anyone theme anything it's just an advantage one could do with Amoled that they cannot with lcd. Also that's an opinion, most people like dark themes better as is.
I guess that's my mistake though, I thought this was a discussion, but it sounds like you're asking a question, and then ignoring everyone's response until you hear the one you want. Is it just me? Am I being an asshole?
Sent from my SM-G920T using XDA Free mobile app
Dunno, the fact that 99% of the s6 i have seen have color uniformity issues, ide rather have the lcd. S6 with a iphone screen would be my preferred phone.
Like the other poster said, you always notice the bad whites, the pitch black contrast of amoled you can only really see at night.
And btw i hate ios, and i own an s6. And its the 6th one ive owned because the the horrible pink screen and color uniformity issues.
Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk
Which mode was your Galaxy s6 on? Keep in mind both the iPhone 6 and the LG G4 have slightly blue white points. I have no complaints about the whites in the s6.
I used to think Samsung should go with LCDs too, but after the vast improvements with the note 4 and s6 I love amoled displays now.
megagodx said:
After comparing my Galaxy S6 AMOLED display to an iPhone 6 and an LG G4, the whites on AMOLED just look horrible with AMOLED. Samsung has made tremendous improvements to Super AMOLED technology in a few short years, since the S2/S3 era. Whites look brighter and more accurate, but they still can't touch LCD.
It would be nice to see Samsung go with a cutting-edge quantum dots LCD, we could have brighter whites and still save energy consumption. Due to the inefficiency with the technology to display whites, I doubt we'll ever see them look as LCDs with their back lights.
AMOLED screens don't achieve the best on-screen times either due to most content on the Internet having very high APL. Most of the Internet and UI interface has bright colors and white backgrounds too. Until Samsung can put more development breakthroughs with AMOLED or develop the more brighter and energy efficient QLEDs, I would love to see a high quality LCD with all the same profile calibrations Samsung offers for their OLED screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.sammobile.com/2015/03/11...-s6-edge-as-best-mobile-displays-ever-tested/
Best display ever, 'nuff said.
megagodx said:
LCDs are just better at the moment. Samsung's Super AMOLED technology [again, forget the inferior AMOLED panels used by other manufacturers] is a few years away still from surpassing top-end LCDs. They have the potential though. Just don't see it happening this year. While LG's G4 isn't that great of an LCD, it's a good example of how blacks can be made acceptable on LCDs with quantum dots technology.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LCD will never have the functionality of AMOLED, that's even when AMOLED is their color reproduction and brightness are slightly inferior to LCD (which btw is not even true) they lack the possibility for ambient display
I'd vote for LCD on the S6. X100
The display on the S6 is pretty poor to be honest. Colour reproduction is no where near real life on any setting and anyone who thinks it is reads reviews are gospel because in real life it's a different story, with white's are awful and blacks which are only slightly better than the current top level LCD's.
Add to the fact, removing all the nonsense about Amoled being better on battery, which in real world usage is rubbished, most work done on 99% of phones is white background, negating any battery advantage, which is negligible and indistinguishable in real world use and testing.
Black themes on HTC One M9 look just as good as on the S6, possibly even better thanks to the other colours being better, and anything with a light or white background looks leaps and bounds better on it's LCD.
Can't get around the fact that 99% of Samsung's current displays have pink tint and uniformity issues and look pretty poor.
Mine was replaced and the pink tint which looked better, is worse than ever after just a few days or so of use.
---------- Post added at 09:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:25 AM ----------
godutch said:
LCD will never have the functionality of AMOLED, that's even when AMOLED is their color reproduction and brightness are slightly inferior to LCD (which btw is not even true) they lack the possibility for ambient display
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you even looked at real world pictures or looked through the camera of the S6 lately? No mode is true to life with colours and the my M9, or in fact probably any top end LCD lately is better in direct sunlight. The S6 display looks like a ghost while the M9 actually is still crisp and sharp. As for ambient display, who uses it and how long is it on screen for ? .5 of a second? Useless.
Among the reasons for having bought Samsung phones for years the screen is one of the main reasons, if they changed to LCD I would most likely change brands. Samsung lead the world in AMOLED display so why change that to become like Apple. All I can say to those posing this ridiculous suggestion is change your phone to a manufacturer that gives you what you desire. I still get comments from my friends that have Iphones (the 6 included) that Samsung displays l;ook better so maybe its not that bad at all even if it isn't representative of "real" life its just easy on the eye. My opinion of course
Jonathan-H said:
Have you even looked at real world pictures or looked through the camera of the S6 lately? No mode is true to life with colours and the my M9, or in fact probably any top end LCD lately is better in direct sunlight. The S6 display looks like a ghost while the M9 actually is still crisp and sharp. As for ambient display, who uses it and how long is it on screen for ? .5 of a second? Useless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to use ambient display all the time, too bad samsung disabled it (for now). And you must be using your display wrong, the S6 has the brightest display by a long margin, almost twice as bright as some of the competition but you have to leave the brightness to auto
No, thanks.
lol, no way, the screen is the main reason I still use Samsung devices...not that the other hardware is bad but OLED is the way to go.
The AMOLED display is one of the main reasons I stick with Samsung.
AMOLED fan here also. Not 100% certain which technology is more efficient/better based on technical specs but for daily usage, I much prefer my S6 SAMOLED over the G3's LCD.

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