What Is OLED?
●OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode, and it’s the type of display you see on almost all modern high-end smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches. OLED was invented in 1987, but because the tech was so expensive to produce at the time, it only started appearing in consumer electronics around the mid-2010s.OLED has become more affordable over the years, but it’s still far more expensive to make than LCD.
●OLED laptops are available on the market, but only a limited selection. Most laptops today, even high-end ones, still use LCD.
●OLED uses organic molecules to emit light and is self-illuminating, meaning each pixel produces its own light. Because of this, ●OLED provides an infinite contrast ratio and perfect blacks, as pixels that aren’t needed can be turned off. The color black on LCDs looks more grayish in comparison.
●OLED monitors are thinner, lighter, energy-efficient, color-accurate, offer wide viewing angles, and have faster response times than LCD monitors.
●OLEDs also have a shorter lifespan than LCDs because the organic materials used in OLEDs tend to degrade over time. One lesser-known con of OLED is that it has lower peak brightness than LCD, so it’s more suited for indoor use. And, of course, OLED is more expensive—but you know that already.
What Is AMOLED?
●AMOLED stands for Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode, and it’s simply a newer and more advanced variant of OLED. ●AMOLED panels use a thin-film transistor (TFT) array to control the flow of current to each individual pixel.
This allows for more precise control of the brightness and color of each pixel, resulting in even better image quality and energy efficiency. Like OLED, AMOLED also offers deep, inky blacks and wide viewing angles.
●Naturally, all the cons of OLED apply to AMOLED, too. However, a unique downside to AMOLED is its limited availability. AMOLEDs are almost exclusively found on high-end Android smartphones and Samsung tablets.
Price
Another difference between AMOLED and OLED displays is their price difference. Devices that use AMOLED display technology are often more expensive. For instance, smartphones with AMOLED displays tend to cost more than smartphones with LCD or regular OLED displays.
Energy Consumption
●AMOLED displays consume less power than OLED displays. This is due to the way that AMOLED pixels are designed. Each ●AMOLED pixel has its capacitor and a custom transistor which helps it to use power more efficiently, making AMOLED displays more energy efficient overall.
●AMOLED technology has also been standardized by various standards organizations, and it is now a common technology across the world. Many companies manufacture AMOLED display devices to meet regulatory requirements and comply with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
AMOLED vs OLED: Side-by-Side Comparison
| OLED | AMOLED | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | It is used to create digital displays on devices such as smartphones, televisions, and computer monitors | It’s type of OLED display technology that provides more vibrant and vivid colors compared to regular OLED devices |
| Name | Organic Light-Emitting Diode | Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode |
| Year Developed | in 1987 | in 2006 |
| Popular Devices | LG C2 | Samsung Galaxy S22 |
| Flexibility | Limited flexibility | Highly flexible |
| Power Consumption | Consumes more power than AMOLED devices | Consumes less power than OLED devices |
| Cost | Often cheaper than AMOLED | More expensive than OLED |