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

[CjonesHouston]

I don't know, maybe there are different types of screens out there, or the qc on them isn't great. On my screen, you have to look at it pretty far off axis to see the shift, and it's a pretty subtle shift at that. I'm not saying you're lying, but either you have a defective screen, or your assertion that it's "not a credible device for photography" is total hyperbole.

Agree. Must be some defective units out. Screen is Amazing.

 

[mihike]

I don't know, maybe there are different types of screens out there, or the qc on them isn't great. On my screen, you have to look at it pretty far off axis to see the shift, and it's a pretty subtle shift at that. I'm not saying you're lying, but either you have a defective screen, or your assertion that it's "not a credible device for photography" is total hyperbole.

Yeah, my bad, I overstated that. I'm sure it takes great pictures. But I would never edit a professional shot on there unless I'm extremely diligent about making sure I am staring straight at it. At about 10 degrees, I get enough color shift that I would never trust it, and never send that on to a customer. And for casual / snapshot use, for what most people do, it's fine. I should have stated "serious or professional photographic editing".

 

[Maleption]

Design and production are 2 different things.

 

[Tech198]

ok, viewing angle is down but not a huge when u think that everything else makes up for that,, If people like u'r phone as much as you do why are they looking at it off-axis anyway? when they can look at it head on.

 

[Apple blogger]

"DisplayMate said this means that it's now "absolutely pointless" to increase the display resolution and pixels per inch of the iPhone any further, since there would be "no visual benefit" for users. "

This is exactly what I wanted to hear... I hope android users understand this... display mate should highlight this and send it to Samsung first, and people should understand that high density screens are useless on a phone after a certain point...

That's what Apple said in 2010, when they launched the Retina display, that we can't identify individual pixels..

 

[ke-iron]

Display quality = hardware(AMOLED, samsung) + software(display driver, Apple). Even if it’s supplied by a subcontractor, the quality can be different. This is the reason why iPhoneX got better reviews than Samsung’s while both use the same parts.

It’s uneducated posts like this that make me respond.

The iPhone and Samsung phones do not use the same parts, referring to screen. The iPhone X screen specifically uses a complete custom built display according to Apple specifications. Meaning, not an off the shelf display that they put in their own phones or sell to other phone manufacturers. While their displays they put in their own phones and sell to others are excellent, the iPhone X display is simply made better because Apple wanted a better display.

 

[CjonesHouston]

"DisplayMate said this means that it's now "absolutely pointless" to increase the display resolution and pixels per inch of the iPhone any further, since there would be "no visual benefit" for users. "

This is exactly what I wanted to hear... I hope android users understand this... display mate should highlight this and send it to Samsung first, and people should understand that high density screens are useless on a phone after a certain point...

That's what Apple said in 2010, when they launched the Retina display, that we can't identify individual pixels..

Yes. It’s not a 70 inch OLED. You can’t get any better then the X.

 

[AJ5790]

Highest color accuracy ...for oled panels.

No, directly quoted from the story. “Highest absolute color accuracy of any display we have ever tested”, not just OLED.
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Could be better if it wasn't missing a big chunk of the top screen. Looks like a giant cluster of bad pixels.

Having used it for several days now, far from hating the notch, I actively like it, a lot. Character, distinction. If you think it’s not for you, that’s fine, but I’m loving it.

 

[woodynorman]

Personally, I'll take the off-axis colour shift along with the benefits of a more accurate colour palette on-axis and sharper images all round.

You wouldn't be saying that if you had my X display. Even just slightly shifting the phone in hand to type causes a dramatic shift from yellow to blue. I'm normally not picky with my iPhone screens, but mine is unacceptable. It will be returned to Apple. I haven't decided if I want to play the screen lottery or not. I love the phone, but can't stand the screen.

 

[gtg465x]

I honestly can't tell the difference. I hear amazing things, but looking at mine, I really can't tell between this and my 6S Plus LCD. Sure the blacks are blacks, but overall, the OLED looks great. But not change my life great.

That’s the point of color calibration... if two screens are calibrated exceptionally well, the colors should looks the same, regardless of whether they are LCD or OLED. But OLED does provide much better contrast and blacks than LCDs, so people sometimes may get the impression that colors pop more on OLED, especially when bright colors are in front of dark or black backgrounds, when in actuality what they are noticing is the improved contrast, not improved colors.
[doublepost=1510023439][/doublepost]

You wouldn't be saying that if you had my X display. Even just slightly shifting the phone in hand to type causes a dramatic shift from yellow to blue. I'm normally not picky with my iPhone screens, but mine is unacceptable. It will be returned to Apple. I haven't decided if I want to play the screen lottery or not. I love the phone, but can't stand the screen.

Is this only with True Tone on? I don’t notice a huge shift in color temperature off axis, but maybe that’s because I don’t use True Tone and my display is already cooler from head on. Always hated Night **** and Poo Tone. Sorry for the immature nicknames haha, but they really do look like crap to me (literally, they make the screen brown).

 

[skywalkerr69]

Good job Samsung

True but remember Apple engineered it the way they wanted it. Samsung produced it.

 

[gtg465x]

Except not all the screens are calibrated properly. There unreal amounts of screens that have yellow hues to them and don’t show white at all. It’s like they failed to calibrate the white point properly. My screen constantly look like night shift is on the lowest setting. There’s no difference between night shift being on, and off. Either way it looks the same.

If turning True Tone on and off doesn’t make a difference, then something is really wrong with your phone. On my X, turning off True Tone in incandescent lighting makes whites look much cooler, and almost exactly like whites on my iPhone 7 Plus, which is to say, beautiful. Not a fan of True Tone myself because I hate warm tinted screens.

 

[woodynorman]

That’s the point of color calibration... if two screens are calibrated exceptionally well, the colors should looks the same, regardless of whether they are LCD or OLED. But OLED does provide much better contrast and blacks than LCDs, so people sometimes may get the impression that colors pop more on OLED, especially when bright colors are in front of dark or black backgrounds, when in actuality what they are noticing is the improved contrast, not improved colors.
[doublepost=1510023439][/doublepost]

Is this only with True Tone on? I don’t notice a huge shift in color temperature off axis, but maybe that’s because I don’t use True Tone and my display is already cooler from head on. Always hated Night **** and Poo Tone. Sorry for the immature nicknames haha, but they really do look like crap to me (literally, they make the screen brown).

True Tone off. Night shift off. Ive tried the calibration as shown in the color shift thread, and I can get rid of the yellow, but the shift is still dramatic. After calibration, its just blue to way more blue, when tilted even a few degrees. The screen totally changes colors. Its very distracting.

 

[gtg465x]

So Samsung is using lower quality displays in Galaxy 8 phones, and supplying better displays to Apple ?

Well Samsung Semiconductor built better CPUs for Apple than they built for Samsung Mobile. So it’s not unreasonable to think Samsung Display could provide better displays to Apple than to Samsung Mobile. Samsung is divided up into divisions that almost run like separate companies. Samsung Mobile, who makes Samsung’s phones, runs almost completely separately from Samsung Display. And if Apple pays them more money and requests superior specifications, I don’t see why they wouldn’t provide Apple a better display. LG has made the LCDs in iPhones for years and they have never shipped an LCD as good in their own phones. Sony has made camera sensors for Apple for years, and they have never had cameras that review as well in their own phones. These massive Asian companies like Samsung, LG, and Sony just operate differently than Apple, who operates like a single entity that only helps itself essentially. They are more like Alphabet, made up of many smaller subsidiary companies that don’t necessarily give other subsidiaries preferential treatment over third party, outside companies who might be offering better bids.

 

[MrX8503]

The display is stunning. The only area for improvement is viewing angles. It still exhibits color shift like most OLEDs.

 

[jdsingle]

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

I love how many times you've been roasted in here. Keep em coming.

 

[falainber]

Scholastic published Harry Potter.

Doesn't make them better writers than JK Rowling

In this case, Apple is the publisher though.
[doublepost=1510034164][/doublepost]

"DisplayMate said this means that it's now "absolutely pointless" to increase the display resolution and pixels per inch of the iPhone any further, since there would be "no visual benefit" for users. "

This is exactly what I wanted to hear... I hope android users understand this... display mate should highlight this and send it to Samsung first, and people should understand that high density screens are useless on a phone after a certain point...

That's what Apple said in 2010, when they launched the Retina display, that we can't identify individual pixels..

This applies only to iPhones. Unlike iPhones, Android phones do VR where the pixels are split between two eyes. When Apple finally implements VR they will have to ask Samsung for higher resolution.
[doublepost=1510034426][/doublepost]

Well Samsung Semiconductor built better CPUs for Apple than they built for Samsung Mobile. So it’s not unreasonable to think Samsung Display could provide better displays to Apple than to Samsung Mobile. Samsung is divided up into divisions that almost run like separate companies. Samsung Mobile, who makes Samsung’s phones, runs almost completely separately from Samsung Display. And if Apple pays them more money and requests superior specifications, I don’t see why they wouldn’t provide Apple a better display. LG has made the LCDs in iPhones for years and they have never shipped an LCD as good in their own phones. Sony has made camera sensors for Apple for years, and they have never had cameras that review as well in their own phones. These massive Asian companies like Samsung, LG, and Sony just operate differently than Apple, who operates like a single entity that only helps itself essentially. They are more like Alphabet, made up of many smaller subsidiary companies that don’t necessarily give other subsidiaries preferential treatment over third party, outside companies who might be offering better bids.

Samsung electronics is a single company. Its different divisions are not subsidiaries. Your comparison with CPU manufacturing is also incorrect. The foundry business (Samsung) develops the tech process (including devices - transistors etc.). The customer (Apple) designs the architecture, schematics and layout. With display panels, what exactly do you think did Apple develop?

 

[MH01]

Still wished they used the display from the iPad Pro 10.5
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But I thought there was no way it could be any better than a Samsung display because Samsung supplies it?!

This is a win / win for Samsung...... you know the S9 is around the corner

 

[tennisproha]

That makes no sense. It's like like saying, if Dell is the PC manufacturer, what's preventing them from stealing Intel CPU technology?

Because unlike Samsung, Dell does not manufacture it's own CPUs. Not sure what's confusing about that.
[doublepost=1510036963][/doublepost]

And the same goes for when the fanboys say they don't mind the notch, that it's the best iPhone ever, yada yada.

How about the fact that the "bezel-less, all-screen" phone has a clear black bezel running all the way around the thing? That a dead horse too?

That's called being bitter. Chill. It's just a phone.

 

[Leguna24]

What? Suddenly DisplayMate's rating matters again once the iPhone X takes the top spot? Amazing.

And then you have those that suddenly will downplay DisplayMate's relevance now that iPhone X takes the top spot.

 

[mib1800]

Overall rating grade: IPX is A+, S8 is A+, Note8 is A+

I think displaymate is very good at the techniques but they are crap at presenting/reporting info

When S8 came out they went and say "best display in smartphone"
When Note 8 came out they went and say "best display in smartphone"
When IPX came out they went and say "best display in smartphone"

So are all of them are "best display in smartphone" since all of them got A+? At least give a point rating for finer comparison.

After reading through long winded report, how best is the best?

================================

Resolution
IPX: 458ppi 5.5mil subpixels (7.5 in from screen for pixel not resolved)
S8/Note8: 570ppi/521ppi 8.5mil subpixels (6 / 6.6 in from screen for pixel not resolved)

Color:
IPX highest accurate color non selectable mode, 2 color GAMUT
S8/Note8, 3 user selectable accurate color screen modes, 4 color GAMUT

Brightness (higher is better)
IPX: Avg (700) , Peak (804), Contrast rating: 141-189
S8/Note8: Avg (485 / 525), Peak (1020 / 1240), Contrast Rating: (128-227 / 122-270 )

Viewing angle (30deg) brightness lost (lower is better)
IPX: 22%
S8/Note8: 29%

Color shifts 30 deg (lower is better)
IPX: 6.2
S8/Note8: 4.8 / 5

Others
IPX: True Tone (auto adjust white balance based on ambient light)
S8/Note8 : Adaptive (with front/back ambient light sensor for better fine-tune brightness/white control),
Always On Display (on-chip support), user adjustable white point/RGB, curved panel,

 

[dnsp]

LOL@ fans that think Apple engineered the display. Apple does not have a clue on how to design an OLED panel. There's a limit, even for being a die hard fanboy. I mean, even LG with years of research and millions invested cannot match Samsung. Suddenly, someone at Cupertino, bang, develops a superior OLED, WOW. This is 100% Samsung tech, Apple just said 'I want x dimensions, x resolution, x calibration'.

 

[convergent]

Overall rating grade: IPX is A+, S8 is A+, Note8 is A+

I think displaymate is very good at the techniques but they are crap at presenting/reporting info

When S8 came out they went and say "best display in smartphone"
When Note 8 came out they went and say "best display in smartphone"
When IPX came out they went and say "best display in smartphone"

So are all of them are "best display in smartphone" since all of them got A+? At least give a point rating for finer comparison.

After reading through long winded report, how best is the best?

================================

Resolution
IPX: 458ppi 5.5mil subpixels (7.5 in from screen for pixel not resolved)
S8/Note8: 570ppi/521ppi 8.5mil subpixels (6 / 6.6 in from screen for pixel not resolved)

Color:
IPX highest accurate color non selectable mode, 2 color GAMUT
S8/Note8, 3 user selectable accurate color screen modes, 4 color GAMUT

Brightness (higher is better)
IPX: Avg (700) , Peak (804), Contrast rating: 141-189
S8/Note8: Avg (485 / 525), Peak (1020 / 1240), Contrast Rating: (128-227 / 122-270 )

Viewing angle (30deg) brightness lost (lower is better)
IPX: 22%
S8/Note8: 29%

Color shifts 30 deg (lower is better)
IPX: 6.2
S8/Note8: 4.8 / 5

Others
IPX: True Tone (auto adjust white balance based on ambient light)
S8/Note8 : Adaptive (with front/back ambient light sensor for better fine-tune brightness/white control),
Always On Display (on-chip support), user adjustable white point/RGB, curved panel,

Thank you for taking the time to read through that horribly organized site and concluding the real results... not the clickbait. They really need to stop using "best" as a final conclusion when they are each beast in different areas.

 

[ke-iron]

You wouldn't be saying that if you had my X display. Even just slightly shifting the phone in hand to type causes a dramatic shift from yellow to blue. I'm normally not picky with my iPhone screens, but mine is unacceptable. It will be returned to Apple. I haven't decided if I want to play the screen lottery or not. I love the phone, but can't stand the screen.

It goes from yellow to blue because of True Tone being on. If you had it turned off, it would go from blue to a different shade of blue. Honestly it doesn’t bother me and I think all iPhone X will have the same issue. I guess you will be returning your iPhone X for good.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

I love how many times you've been roasted in here. Keep em coming.

I was being sarcastic but it seems yourself and a number of others didn't catch that.