What is the difference between an OLED display and other technology screens? Let’s find out. If you go to a store selling consumer electronics, you are likely to see at least one TV with an OLED display. It is because of the screen technology that this device will be very expensive. But why? What are the features of such a display? The answer is in this article.
It should be remembered that OLED technology in its true form is mainly used for the production of large format LCD panels. That is, to meet such screens most often on TVs. AMOLED displays are commonly used in portable electronics, which, incidentally, are very similar in general. But the OLED screen is typical for smart watches and fitness bracelets.
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Display design
Like a traditional LCD display, the OLED panel consists of a set of pixels that form the image. However, the cheaper competitor has an illuminated layer, but there is no such element. Instead, each pixel is essentially an organic light-emitting diode that can emit light independently. This means that the brightness of the OLED screen is adjusted pixel by pixel. IPS-or TFT-panel in any case, the whole area is illuminated by backlight, because of which the contrast is far from ideal.
OLED displays consist of a number of thin organic layers between two conductors. This is a voltage supply to the wires that causes the screen to emit light. This design allows you to bend the display without much difficulty – some manufacturers have already shown panels that can be screwed into a tube. This must be the future for OLED TVs. It remains only to learn how to achieve flexibility from the processor, memory, motherboard and other components.
Subpixels on colored OLED panels may have a different layout. Now three schemes are the most popular:
- The first is traditional when the image is created using three organic LEDs – red, green and blue.
- The second option is to use blue emitters and special fluorescent materials that transform short-wave radiation into longwave colors – green and red.
- The third model is used less frequently, losing energy efficiency – such an OLED screen involves the use of three white emitters, from which the light then passes through the color filters.
Regardless of the matrix structure does not play a big role – in any case, the screen will be enjoyed with excellent color reproduction, high contrast and smaller thickness.
The main advantages of OLED
There are many reasons why OLED displays will become more and more popular. The contrast of OLED screens is very high.
In particular, such matrices have the following advantages:
- The image has no distortion at any angle;
- The lack of a separate backlit layer has a positive effect on energy consumption;
- Such screens have a minimum thickness, and therefore the physical dimensions of the final device are reduced;
- The contrast is almost perfect, because when showing black colors the backlight is almost completely dimmed;
- OLED technology allows you to display more colors.
OLED disadvantages
None of the LCD display technology is perfect. When we talk about OLED, the following restrictions come to mind:
- It is much more difficult to buy a device with such a screen due to the very high costs (in this case it is not about wearable electronics, but TV sets);
- Early OLED displays signal short cyan LEDs of two to three years in length – now this problem is almost completely solved (including in software when other colors gradually begin to adapt to the weakened guy).
AMOLED vs OLED
If you make a comparison with the AMOLED matrix, then you will not see special differences. The fact is that these are actually two technologies under one name. Only the OLED screen, as described above, can display the image in many ways. AMOLED also implies one technology, and such displays are tightly closed, which allows them to be used only in portable electronics.
It should also be noted that AMOLED screens are produced in sufficient quantities only by Samsung. When it comes to OLED, various technological giants create their screens using this technology. However, these words are only true for wearable OLED panels. If we are talking about large size displays for televisions, here LG El e ctronics holds his hand.
Devices with an OLED screen
This technology is not new. The first screens based on it were created many years ago. But for a long time such panels had a limited set of colors and more often the displays were completely monochrome. Color matrices have been used relatively recently – mainly TV sets are equipped with such panels. Most often it is a very expensive model, the price of which ranges from 150 thousand to 1.5 million rubles.
Wearable gadgets are another category of products in which the OLED screen is regularly found. In particular, now you can buy smart watches and fitness bracelets for very little money. Such devices require such a display due to the reduction of thickness and reduction of energy consumption. The standard IPS screen can not be used in these gadgets, otherwise the battery charge will dissolve right before your eyes. The most popular fitness bracelet with OLED display is Xiaomi Mi Band 2. Of course, the screen here is monochrome. But this does not prevent your device from displaying all the information you need most.
