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The differences between OLED and LCD phone screens

October 31, 2019

Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) screens are produced by placing a layer of organic (carbon based) materials between two conductors. When an electrical current is applied, the organic material emits a bright light. This is in contrast to liquid crystal displays (LCD) that direct light onto liquid crystals that are sandwiched between layers of polarized glass. The crystals have the ability to both block and pass light. The color of the light can be influenced by the current or electric field to form a visible image.

OLED screens are brighter, thinner, and feature a faster refresh rate when compared to LCD screens because they feature individual pixels that produce a more natural color versus LCD screens. They also have the ability to turn off individual pixels completely, producing a true black color. LCD screens use background light and can only be dimmed, producing a less-than-perfect black. Because of this, OLED screens are more energy efficient when the images being displayed are darker. However, when showing brighter white images, OLED needs more power to activate the pixels, while LCD screen require the same amount of power regardless of what is being displayed. This also means that LCD screens can produce a cleaner white.

Because OLED screens use an organic compound in their individual pixels, the life of OLEDs tend to be shorter lived than LCDs that do not use organic elements. OLED screens are also have fewer layers of materials and are thinner, making them more susceptible to breaking. Currently, OLED technology also tends to be more expensive than that of LCDs.

As the trend of using OLED screens continues to rise and be more prominently used by Apple and Samsung in their next-generation smartphone models, LCD screens will most likely be phased out over the next few years. In the interim, Cell Phone Zone will continue to offer products and accessories for phones with either type of screens for years to come. So, for those of you who want to trade in your LCD phone just yet, we’re here to keep you up and running. For those who wish to switch to the newer technology, we can assist you with your needs, as well.

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