DisplayMate: iPhone X Has the 'Most Innovative and High Performance' Smartphone Display Ever Tested

[justperry]

Snip...The technology doesn't exist to have the entire front be screen, so take it or leave it. I took it, and I'm glad I did.

Not in a released product, I am pretty sure that there are prototypes in some places with this.
In a few years microleds will be available, most of the display is empty space, the microleds take up just a tiny space, so all that space that's left behind can be used for behind the display sensors.
And the earpiece can be more up a bit on the "rim" of the phone.

 

[I7guy]

In your analogy, Samsung is JK Rowling, Apple is Scholastic.

Scholastic publishes and prints the created and original work of JK Rowling, and gives it to the masses.
Apple takes Samsung's created display and pushes it onto the masses through their phone.

If anything, Apple is the "publisher." Do I care? No. I just hate seeing fanboy's like yourself making everything about Apple.

Or Apple actually created the design and Samsung manufactured the part.

 

[Nozuka]

Displaymate, "iPhone 8 screen is best ever!"
Apple Fans, "OMG I love Displaymate. Such a trustworthy source!!!1"
Displaymate 2 weeks later, "Pixel 2 has best screen ever!!!1 iPhone 8 suxs"
Apple Fans, "OMG I hate Displaymate. Do not trust them. They are morons."
Displaymate, "iPhone X has best screen in the world!!!!1"
Apple Fans, "OMGS!!!! Displaymate just said iPhone has best screen. Such a trustworthy source!!!1."

are mabye, just maybe, these were not the same people.

 

[DNichter]

Because of the lack of 4k content or what? I would think there'd be a visual difference.

I am no expert, but it comes down to distance from your face. Apparently the human eye can't discern the distance, so it is basically a waste of resources dedicated to driving a higher resolution display.

 

[techwhiz]

Apple designed it, not Samsung. The same way Samsung was manufacturing the A9 chips for the 6S/6S Plus: they had nothing to do with the design.

Apple didn't design it.
Apple gave them the specifications and they designed it to meet Apple's specs.

 

[justperry]

Displaymate, "iPhone 8 screen is best ever!"
Me, "OMG I love Displaymate. Such a trustworthy source!!!1"
Displaymate 2 weeks later, "Pixel 2 has best screen ever!!!1 iPhone 8 suxs"
Me, "OMG I hate Displaymate. Do not trust them. They are morons."
Displaymate, "iPhone X has best screen in the world!!!!1"
Me, "OMGS!!!! Displaymate just said iPhone has best screen. Such a trustworthy source!!!1."

Fixed.

 

[I7guy]

Displaymate, "iPhone x screen is best ever!"
Apple Fans, "OMG I love Displaymate. Such a trustworthy source!!!1"
Displaymate 2 weeks later, "Pixel 2 has best screen ever!!!1 iPhone 8 suxs"
Apple Fans, "OMG I hate Displaymate. Do not trust them. They are morons."
Displaymate, "iPhone X has best screen in the world!!!!1"
Apple Fans, "OMGS!!!! Displaymate just said iPhone has best screen. Such a trustworthy source!!!1."

It’s just as “funny” (and maybe as true) if “Apple fans” are replaced by “Samsung fans” and “note 8” replaces “iPhone x”.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I have to say when seeing both screens next to each other, the Note 8 and iPhone X both have fantastic displays.

 

[5105973]

...unless you're using it as an AR/VR screen and it's four inches away from your face. Seriously, on my 1080p 6S+ screen, I never get a good experience through a Google Cardboard. I'd love a 4K screen for that application.

Does that heat up your 6S, though? I use my older two Samsungs in VR but have been reluctant to put my newer and expensive S8+ through that use after seeing how hot my other two Samsungs could get. At least those I got on discount and one was a freebie. If I owned an X, I would be reluctant to bake it in VR. At some point I’d like to see where prices and capabilities go with the dedicated units and start leaving my smartphones out of it.

 

[techwhiz]

Not in a released product, I am pretty sure that there are prototypes in some places with this.
In a few years microleds will be available, most of the display is empty space, the microleds take up just a tiny space, so all that space that's left behind can be used for behind the display sensors.
And the earpiece can be more up a bit on the "rim" of the phone.

There are phones that already put the speaker in the edge (Essential PH-1). Not sure what to do with the camera.
You need a lens. You can stuff a proximity sensor behind the display, possibly.

 

[Feenician]

Wow. Went through those detailed test result side by side with the Note 8. Color accuracy and luminance are big wins for the X and almost everything else seems be tiny differences.

 

[TsMkLg068426]

And still a over priced smart phone Apple has a long way to move many customers to iPhone 10 to phase out the other iPhones. Yes the sails look good because of the price not because more people bought a iPhone X vs. a iPhone 8.

 

[twintin]

Displaymate, "iPhone 8 screen is best ever!"
Apple Fans, "OMG I love Displaymate. Such a trustworthy source!!!1"
Displaymate 2 weeks later, "Pixel 2 has best screen ever!!!1 iPhone 8 suxs"
Apple Fans, "OMG I hate Displaymate. Do not trust them. They are morons."
Displaymate, "iPhone X has best screen in the world!!!!1"
Apple Fans, "OMGS!!!! Displaymate just said iPhone has best screen. Such a trustworthy source!!!1."

or

Displaymate, "iPhone X has best screen in the world!!!!1"
Android Fans, "OMG! Don’t trust Displaymate. They must be paid by Apple."

 

[tooltalk]

But I thought there was no way it could be any better than a Samsung display because Samsung supplies it?!

It looks like it's just different minor tweaking, but everything else seems like they are the same marks Samsung achieved. Of the new smartphone display records the iPhones achieved, look at the following:

· Highest Full Screen Contrast Rating in Ambient Light (141).
· Highest Contrast Ratio (Infinite).
· Lowest Screen Reflectance (4.5 percent).
· Smallest Brightness Variation with Viewing Angle (22 percent).

all above are more or less the same

Now, the following two are obviously tweaked differently:

· Highest Full Screen Brightness for OLED Smartphones (634 nits).
Note 8 :1.75 watts (420 cd/m2)
iPhone X: 3.25 watts (634 cd/m2)

It just means more brightness/power consumption and that's great for AMOLED display burn-in. Samsung's (and perhaps every other mobile device makers') focus here is obviously on power efficiency (though Dr. Soniera notes, it could go up to 1000+ nits under certain condition), whereas Apple's is on brightness -- I guess the same analogy can be made for Apple's single-core performance in A11 vs everyone's else power efficiency focus on their AP design.

Then, comes the record Absolute Color Accuracy where Apple went out of their way to achieve the best mark with each individual unit calibrated at factory.

 

[lenard]

But I thought there was no way it could be any better than a Samsung display because Samsung supplies it?!

Manufactured by Samsung, based on Apple's Specs......

 

[tennisproha]

I've always wondered, if Samsung is the manufacturer, what prevents them from steal and copying this technology? Why doesn't Apple use a non-competitor like maybe Sharp?

 

[HiRez]

As a result, for Smartphones it is absolutely pointless to further increase the display resolution and pixels per inch (ppi) up to 4K (3940x2160 pixels) for a silly marketing wild goose chase into the stratosphere, with no visual benefit for humans!

There would still be a benefit if you're using it in VR phone holder type things, where the screen is much closer to your face and magnified, right? I've used Galaxy Notes in this configuration and it looks absolutely horrible, a lot more resolution would be needed to make it acceptable (to me anyway). Not that Apple is currently doing any of that, but still.

Also, maybe if you wanted to mirror your phone onto a 4K display via Airplay or cable?
[doublepost=1509996941][/doublepost]

I've always wondered, if Samsung is the manufacturer, what prevents them from steal and copying this technology? Why doesn't Apple use a non-competitor like maybe Sharp?

First of all Sharp doesn't even manufacture OLED as far as I know. I think the only 2 manufacturers are Samsung and LG and Samsung has by far the more advanced OLED tech for smartphone form factors (LG produces excellent tv OLED panels but mediocre to bad ones for phones -- witness the Pixel 2 issues; meanwhile Samsung strangely produces no OLED tvs). And Samsung probably is the only manufacturer in the world who can produce them in the extreme volume that Apple needs. Also, if their quality demands are higher, that means they need to reject more panels and that requires an even higher rate of production.

But Apple is always looking to diversify its supply chain. Since almost everything Apple makes now is so dependent on the screen, I always wonder why they don't manufacture their own. I know it would be massively expensive, but even spending tens of billions of dollars on factories is rather trivial to Apple these days. Then they could sell their reject panels to Google.

 

[badbrain]

Tilting a bit to reach Control Center for example. But like now it's on my desk, so I'm a good 20-30 degrees off. Yes, I could buy a dock stand.
p.s. that Apple marketing image of the lady with the X laying flat and the beams of FaceID light beaming towards is fraud. FaceID is actually awesome, but it does not see you at that angle.

It does for me. I was shocked when it happened. Just walking by the phone on the table and glanced at it from an angle, face didn’t even go over the phone. Nice.

 

[richard371]

You need at least 1000ppi before VR starts looking someone decent and not like looking through a fence.

 

[44267547]

I've always wondered, if Samsung is the manufacturer, what prevents them from steal and copying this technology? Why doesn't Apple use a non-competitor like maybe Sharp?

Because Samsung is the only one that can fulfill Apples demands for 92 million OLED panels. Sharp likely would not be able to meet those demands for that many panels, let alone OLED.

 

[MattLangley]

I've always wondered, if Samsung is the manufacturer, what prevents them from steal and copying this technology? Why doesn't Apple use a non-competitor like maybe Sharp?

Don't believe what others are saying... This is not designed by Apple. This is nothing like CPU fab... Note Displaymate only credited Apple with an excellent calibration not design. This screen technology and design is completely Samsung and along the path they have always developed the best screens on the market, Apple is simply a client that set specific requirements and paid for it.

For example the increased off angle brightness is likely due to the increased Diamond Pixel fill factor... The Diamond Pixel OLED layout and tech being something Samsung has done for years and has slowly been evolving. Likely the same fill factor on the much larger Note 8 would've shot it's price up a lot more. The S8 for example has a similar screen size to the iPhone X and it's $250 cheaper.

Here's a high res picture of the Note 8

http://www.displaymate.com/Diamond_40.html

and the iPhone X

http://www.displaymate.com/Diamond_41a.html

Basically Apple just paid for them to pack in their existing format a bit more. This matches the price where the iPhone X costs more than the Note 8 yet has a much smaller lower res screen.

Again Apple just paid for what Samsung already had the capabilities to do and paid for a slightly better calibration. Most of the color accuracy differences are almost outside of the range of human perception (which is likely why Samsung pays for a cheaper calibration) though Apple should get credit for putting money into that direction.

It's not a clean sweep for the iPhone X screen, most attributes are basically the same considering it's the same tech just a slightly different variation... Though the Note 8 does reach a higher peak brightness in auto-brightness in high ambient light, 1240 vs the 800 of the iPhone X, also the Note 8 has slightly less bright off angle viewing though slightly better off angle color accuracy (so you might see a drop more color distortion at off angles on the iPhone but it'll be a bit brighter).

Again read Displaymate review, this is not an Apple designed screen like a designed CPU... this is a typical Samsung designed screen that slightly leapfrogs it's own screens like they always do with an excellent Apple calibration (likely just coming down to cost there, also the Samsung screens support 4 screen modes with an Adobe RGB color space mode that the iPhone doesn't cover, that might factor into calibration costs).

Credit where it's due... the iPhone finally has the best screen on the market by buying it from Samsung and paying for a better calibration. Though it doesn't compete in the same screen size as the Note 8... that $999 iPhone X would probably jump to $1300+ in that case.

 

[AppleFan91]

Congrats to Samsung and Apple. Samsung made these happen and manufactured them. Apple applied their tweaks and specifications to put them where they are. Like it or not, Samsung makes incredible devices, they just have to run Android. Other than that, Samsung and Apple, when working together can create a monster of a device

 

[ItsGavinC]

Apple didn't design it.
Apple gave them the specifications and they designed it to meet Apple's specs.

You don’t understand what those words mean. Apple designed it (how else do you get the specs to give Samsung?!) and Samsung manufactured it.

Samsung did NOT design the screen for Apple. That makes no sense. They fabricated it.

 

[dBeats]

Quote from Displaymate review (Emphasis mine):

The result: Apple has produced an impressive Smartphone display with excellent performance and accuracy, which we cover in extensive detail below. What makes the iPhone X the Best Smartphone Display is the impressive Precision Display Calibration Apple developed, which transforms the OLED hardware into a superbly accurate, high performance, and gorgeous display, with close to Text Book Perfect Calibration and Performance!!

Congratulations Apple...

 

[Iconoclysm]

As a Samsung owner, this makes me very happy.

It came with two things that Samsung isn't going to give you so easily - Apple requiring a higher quality than Samsung produces on its own, and at a cost that Apple passed onto its customers.

 

[Jbusick7944]

Can someone please do me a favor?
Unlock your phone with FaceID. BEFORE swiping up to home, swipe down. Can you see notifications? Or do you have to go home first, THEN swipe down for notifications? Mine is the latter.
Thanks in advance