Super AMOLED vs Retina

[anonymous guy]

Laugh if you want. I will bet you $20 that Apple adds widgets functionality to the next iPhone/iOS.

You iPhone users always bash a feature until Apple implements it..and *then* all of a sudden it is useful/awesome.

Before June 2010:

"480x320 resolution is good enough! What's the point of adding a higher resolution if I can see everything just fine on a 3.5 inch screen?"

After June 2010:

"the resolution on the Android phones can't match up to the Retina Display!"

 

[mz100]

This argument is just like the Android v. iPhone argument.
It boils down to user preference.
I am a huge tech geek, and when I saw the Super Amoled display it was awesome, it was bright, clear and the colors looked great.

However, when the iPhone 4 came out and I got to play with it and the Retina display I was blown away, and IMO I would take it over a Super Amoled any day.
The resolution is higher, and the DPI are much higher.
People keep boasting about the amazing color contrast on the Amoled's display, but they act as though apple is using crap, the colors on my iPhone 4 look fantastic, it may be second to Amoled, but I will take it.

Here is the way I think about it, yeah movies may look great on a Super Amoled, but how often are you gonna watch more than 10 minutes of video on your phone?

When I can load up a web page on my iPhone and read the text without having to zoom in I am completely satisfied.
Text, and Crispness on the iPhone is awesome.
When you can't see pixels on the screen on the retina, and you can on the Super Amoled, the decision is clear for me.

 

[mgamber]

I've been using a Samsung Focus for the past couple of days and, frankly, if there's any practical difference I haven't noticed it. I can tell you that it's brighter and easier to read at an arm's length and further than the iPhone. To quote Spock, however, "Any difference that makes no difference is no difference" and that's pretty much what I see....no difference. Maybe there will be something noticable tomorrow when the new Slingbox shows up and I can use Slingplayer on both phones but I suspect the only practical difference will be that the Focus is brighter and easier to see from a distance.

 

[ajohnson253]

This argument is just like the Android v. iPhone argument.
It boils down to user preference.
I am a huge tech geek, and when I saw the Super Amoled display it was awesome, it was bright, clear and the colors looked great.

However, when the iPhone 4 came out and I got to play with it and the Retina display I was blown away, and IMO I would take it over a Super Amoled any day.
The resolution is higher, and the DPI are much higher.
People keep boasting about the amazing color contrast on the Amoled's display, but they act as though apple is using crap, the colors on my iPhone 4 look fantastic, it may be second to Amoled, but I will take it.

Here is the way I think about it, yeah movies may look great on a Super Amoled, but how often are you gonna watch more than 10 minutes of video on your phone?

When I can load up a web page on my iPhone and read the text without having to zoom in I am completely satisfied.
Text, and Crispness on the iPhone is awesome.
When you can't see pixels on the screen on the retina, and you can on the Super Amoled, the decision is clear for me.

I felt the same way after seeing AMOLED screens. Just the other day when I was in AT&T paying my bill I checked out the focus and immediately went to the browser. Usually that is the first application I check out in a phone to www how I'll like it. I could hardly see anything clear on the page without having to zoom in. I pull out my iPhone 4 with "retina" display lol and realize I've been taking the screen for granted. I just realized how crisp & clear the screen is. I haven't seen anything on the market yet that has a more clear picture.

 

[Jeffrosproto]

go back and look at the very first preview of 10.5 leopard
it looked identical to tiger

yea they didnt change much but things did change before the final release

Exactly, the first release of an OS never looks like the final release. Look at Longhorn to Vista, for example (although Apple is way different from them).

 

[tcullum5340]

Although a lot of this comes down to user preference, I have to say, the retina display is simply stunning - both technically and aesthetically speaking.

Having owned all the iPhone models, many Windows Mobile phones, and a variety of high-end Nokia phones, Apple is 100% justified in bragging about having superior pixel density. Why? Because it equates to real world tangible benefits. Reading text is absolutely crucial when using a phone in this category. When I'm looking for an odd street destination, it's incredibly easy to read the Maps (google and navigon) in bright sunlight. And I prefer to do that quickly since often I'm driving during this task and am an admittedly bad multitasker (don't judge me! You're all guilty too!).

As far as the UI goes, there's something to be said for Apple's. There's consistency and a logical layout that simply works. Can it be improved? Absolutely. Sometimes, even with my organized folders, I can't remember where I put an app. As far as looks go, if you're willing to JB, the options are virtually limitless. But I have to say, as many themes as I've tried out, I always revert back to the basic default setup. I only keep Lockinfo around.

After awhile, it seems to me, the hardcore users here generally revert to what works well and expand on that. And it's a testament to Apple's engineers and designers that this means going with what they set up.

Trust me when I say this - I'm no fanboy. If a competitor comes along that ousts the iPhone from its vaulted perch, I will abandon ship. I have no disillusions about notions of brand loyalty. I buy the best (when I can afford it). Because that's what drives technology forward - my dollar. And I will use that to my advantage until the world of Star Trek has arrived.

 

[TheMacBookPro]

Order: Super AMOLED (galaxy s), iPhone 4 ,
iPhone 3Gs

Some folks really have no clue what they are talking about

Says the person who said CDMA is for 'people who can't afford
iPhones'

and even though you may have a HUGE 4" display Super Duper AMOLED, it
does you absolutely no good when reading, which is what I do mostly.

Galaxy S vs iPhone 4. Even though the iPhone 4 is a smaller screen,
you can read the text without zooming in. What is the point of a
bigger screen if I have to constantly zoom in?

Pixelated crap

vs awesome

I'll stick with my iPhone 4... Thanks.

When I browse my screen, it catches the eye of everyone who has seen
my iPhone 4. It's the first thing they mention. A WOW, followed by
"Man that is really clear".

All the visually appealing UI doesn't make it more usable. Using
Windows Phone 7 is a pain in the ass. No multitasking. and Android is
just plain ugly.

iOS 4.1 on an iPhone 4 just looks polished and so easy to use.
Everything is right there. It doesn't require the brain to think to
perform any task. Just looking at the screens one can see that Android
is basicaly one disjointed disorganized multi-brand phone mess

Inbox. Again. iOS requires no thinking. It's natural. WP7 makes your
brain think "What the hell am I looking at?", and Android is just
trying to copy iOS

again, Android is ugly as hell. I am not a fan of widgets, but even if
I was, I just can't get past the ugly icons. It looks a real mess.

and what is it with Android people and weather widgets? Do you REALLY
need to be constantly looking at the temperature outside on your
screen? Come on.

Apple troll is a troll. Why am I not surprised?

Your eyes have to have Apple stickers covering them if you think the Galaxy S's screen is 'pixelated crap'. Have you actually used a Galaxy S (or other large-screen phone, like the HD2) at all? No?

Not sure why a 4" screen is somehow worse for reading than a 3.5" screen. With the extra real estate you can zoom in without decreasing the number of words displayed (compared to a 3.5" screen).

And that second part of your little essay? Nobody was discussing Android vs iOS. Discussion was about AMOLED vs IPS.

Still, I want to add my 2c...
If you think WP7 is hard to use, it's not our (or Microsoft's) problem you have mental issues.
And, um, mind telling us what exactly about Android is 'ugly'?

Are you insinuating that having the option to display the weather on the home screen is an problem with Android? What? It's not like Google is forcing you to have a weather widget on your home screen

Sounds like you're the one who 'has no clue'.

 

[Orlandu]

Laugh if you want. I will bet you $20 that Apple adds widgets functionality to the next iPhone/iOS.

And it will probably be done better than what's available on Android.

Not sure why a 4" screen is somehow worse for reading than a 3.5" screen. With the extra real estate you can zoom in without decreasing the number of words displayed (compared to a 3.5" screen).

I believe the point that was being made is that on a retina display, you don't have to zoom in to read everything. Thanks to the 326 dpi, you can see the text clearly enough even when its small (granted your eyesight is up to the task).

I for one am an Apple convert just because of the retina display. When it comes to brightness and viewing angles, who really uses their phone at a 60 degree angle on full brightness all day? We lower the brightness to our own comfortable level and look at it straight on. And in this category, the retina display wins.

 

[mgamber]

And it will probably be done better than what's available on Android.



I believe the point that was being made is that on a retina display, you don't have to zoom in to read everything. Thanks to the 326 dpi, you can see the text clearly enough even when its small (granted your eyesight is up to the task).

I for one am an Apple convert just because of the retina display. When it comes to brightness and viewing angles, who really uses their phone at a 60 degree angle on full brightness all day? We lower the brightness to our own comfortable level and look at it straight on. And in this category, the retina display wins.

I don't have to zoom in to read anything. In fact, I just sat here with glasses on and the Focus next to the iPhone 4, brought up like web pages and pictures and I don't see any difference between one and the other. There's no pixelation, there aren't even any discernable pixels. With the exception the Focus being brighter and larger, there's zero difference. I'm starting to think the iPhone isn't superior, it's just overengineered. My Slingbox should be here today, that will be the final test for me.

FYI, my phone sits on a desk all day and I see it from all kinds of angles. Maybe that's what the commercials mean by "Saving us from our smartphones". I don't have to put my face in front of it to see what's on the display and it's pretty nice after 2 1/2 years of having to do that with the iPhone, retinal display or not.

Edit: Oh, I see what you mean. If I look at each screen with a magnifying glass the Focus doesn't really display tiny letters while the iPhone does. So technically the iPhone 4 is superior but practically I can't read either until I zoom it up to a reasonable size so there's no practical difference. Once it reaches the point where I can easily read the text on either screen, they look identical. There's no pixelation on the Focus that I've noticed.

 

[ajohnson253]

And it will probably be done better than what's available on Android.



I believe the point that was being made is that on a retina display, you don't have to zoom in to read everything. Thanks to the 326 dpi, you can see the text clearly enough even when its small (granted your eyesight is up to the task).

I for one am an Apple convert just because of the retina display. When it comes to brightness and viewing angles, who really uses their phone at a 60 degree angle on full brightness all day? We lower the brightness to our own comfortable level and look at it straight on. And in this category, the retina display wins.

You worded exactly what I meant to say perfectly.

 

[itsmemuffins]

There is nothing super about Super AMOLED with its Pentile Matrix technology.

 

[err404]

Not exactly a comparison of Super AMOLED and Retina, but I installed the iDroid on my 3G phone last night (Froyo 2.2.1 port for iPhone) and found something interesting about the screen size in iOS and Android.
under Android the screen felt cramped. I have been using iPhones since the 2G launch, and the screen has never seemed small to me before. The layout of the Android UI seems to require a bigger screen. The debate over screen size seems to be as much about the OS as the screen itself.

 

[kevintech]

When you see the bright colors and big fonts on current 4in Windows Phone 7 screens, it really pops out. When someone is on an iPhone browsing their home screen and apps, although it has the best screen out there, it really doesn't catch the eye.

I couldn't care less about catching someone's eye. It's not important how my phone appears to someone casually passing by - it's important how I personally feel about my phone.

If you want to floss, get a lady GaGa case for your iPhone.

 

[Tarzanman]

And it will probably be done better than what's available on Android.

Who's to say. My point is/was that iOS is lagging behind Android and you iFanboys like to bad-mouth features iOS lacks (out of bitterness or jealousy, I suppose)

 

[Apple...]

Who's to say. My point is/was that iOS is lagging behind Android and you iFanboys like to bad-mouth features iOS lacks (out of bitterness or jealousy, I suppose)

I don't. I can make a list plenty long of missing features/ things that need to be improved upon (ex: multitasking/ notifications). iOS isn't behind Android at all - just because it doesn't have widgets doesn't mean it's lagging.

 

[iMpathetic]

800x480 is NOT a bad resolution for a phone at all. 960x640 is better, yes, but keep in mind that when the first crop of WVGA phones were released, iPhone users were stuck at 480x320.

I hate to parrot people, but some of you iPhone 4 users really do seem to forget the very recent past. You were happy with the old screens and completely disregarded WVGA.

Some of the blanket statements being made here are laughable, to say the least. Calling Android "just plain ugly" reeks of ignorance. Android can be skinned in many ways... for example, I have an HTC Sense theme on my Droid. I get comments every day about how nice my phone looks, although that isn't really important to me.

I especially like the comments regarding the email apps. Saying that the Android email client "just trying to copy iOS" is like saying Puffs ripped off Kleenex for having tissues that are square and made of paper. The assertion that Google plagiarized Apple's email client is just ridiculous. Messages are displayed in list form on both, with touch buttons for marking individual messages. The sender and the subject line are both prominently displayed. They're the logical way to present email on a touch screen phone. Would you rather Android used Wingdings to differentiate the two??

Basically, it all boils down to this. If you are on Sprint or Verizon, you use Android. If you want to deal with AT&T, you get an iPhone. They are both extremely capable platforms and serve users well. Haven't had the chance to try out WP7 yet.

 

[Tarzanman]

I don't.
I can make a list plenty long of missing features/ things that need to be improved upon (ex: multitasking/ notifications). iOS isn't behind Android at all - just because it doesn't have widgets doesn't mean it's lagging.

Contradict yourself much? How is it not lagging if it (by your own admission), is missing features?

 

[err404]

Who's to say. My point is/was that iOS is lagging behind Android and you iFanboys like to bad-mouth features iOS lacks (out of bitterness or jealousy, I suppose)

I don't think that it's bitterness or jealousy, but it is a commentary on the design philosophy of the two companies:

Google adds features quickly and polishes them over time.
Apple adds features more slowly so they are polished at release.

Contradict yourself much? How is it not lagging if it (by your own admission), is missing features?

yeah, I had a hard time with that logic too.

 

[iMpathetic]

Contradict yourself much? How is it not lagging if it (by your own admission), is missing features?

It's pretty, so logical thought doesn't apply.

 

[Apple...]

Contradict yourself much? How is it not lagging if it (by your own admission), is missing features?

Take things out of context, much? Just because it's "missing" (as in, doesn't have so and so features) doesn't mean it's lagging. If that were the case, then I could go ahead and say everything is lagging, including Android. To me, you're making it sound like I'm saying iOS is behind Android in features, etc. I never said that. There are things of which both platforms are missing.

It's pretty, so logical thought doesn't apply.

 

[Blorzoga]

"dumm" ..... uh huh. Because they like a large bright screen even though they might see some pixels .... that makes 'em "dumm?" Frankly, while I really enjoy the iPhone 4, the quality/resolution of the screen is totally meaningless to me. I could care less if it had half the resolution it has. Things that small (photos, games etc) really don't make that much difference on a screen that size. It's all Apple hype. I'll take a 4"+ screen any day over the 3.6 with 1/2 the resolution and I'd be happy if I had the option on an IOS device. I guess I'm just dumb.

Well, while you're at it (correcting, that is), the expression is couldn't care less not could care less, genius.

 

[err404]

Well, while you're at it (correcting, that is), the expression is couldn't care less not could care less, genius.

Well maybe he could care a little bit less

 

[falconeight]

I don't care what apple calls the display its still a dated OS and its very boring.

 

[Tarzanman]

Perfect example of why outsiders are so exasperated with iFanboys. You guys rationalize and make excuses for inconsistencies in your own statements/beliefs, and conscientiously refuse to accept verifiable facts that go against your personal opinions.

You and Uncle Steve deserve each other .

 

[Pjstock42]

Just thought I'd chime in here since I just had an experience with this issue.

I've been waiting for Windows Phone 7 since it was announced because I fell in love with the OS on the Zune HD.

I've had the ip4 since launch, but Monday morning I went and bought the Samsung Focus which is made with a top of the line super AMOLED screen.

The first thing I noticed is how pixelated text was, I thought I could get used to it because the colors and black levels are amazing, but 3 days later the Focus is returned and I'm back on the ip4.

Super AMOLED is a great technology, but when you go from an ip4 to a screen that's physically bigger and with less pixels, everything just looks terrible and I couldn't deal with it.

If I had never used an ip4 I'd probably think the Focus display is amazing, but once you use the retina display theres really no going back, until someone else releases something comparable/better.

Let me just say though, the WP7 OS is a winner. It's an amazing OS and Microsoft did a brilliant job with it. Once it gets put on some competent hardware, I'll probably be trying it again.