AMOLED vs. IPS Monitors. 5 Must-Know Facts
- AMOLED displays high contrast colors, whereas IPS monitors’ contrast of colors is relatively low.
- AMOLED uses less power because you can turn off lights in darkly lit scenes. IPS monitors need lots of power because, on whatever display, they need power.
- AMOLED displays are thinner and lighter than thicker IPS monitors. The essence of IPS monitor thickness is to shield the eyes from direct light.
- IPS shows slow pixel response time, whereas AMOLED shows faster pixel response time because of its simple mechanism to produce pixels.
- IPS has a longer life span than AMOLED. When you compare their ability to lose pixels, AMOLED is more prone.
Do you know the difference between an AMOLED monitor and an IPS monitor? If not, you’re not alone.
When buying a laptop, tablet, smartphone, or AIO, the screen is one of the first things you will consider. AMOLED and IPS are the two most widely used screen technologies. They have similarities because they are both made of three pixels (red, blue, and green). However, you’ll notice varied differences when considering AMOLED and IPS monitors.
AMOLED (active-matrix organic light emitting diode) is a display device technology. Electrons flow through a thin film layer in AMOLED via an anode and cathode. The amount of electron flow determines the brightness, while the red, green, and blue emitting diodes are built into the screen to control color.
IPS (in-plane switching) uses parallel-aligned liquid crystals to produce vibrant colors. The liquid crystals’ dynamic patterns give IPS screens their distinctive appearance. These monitors were created to get around TN panels’ drawbacks. Better viewing angles are made possible by the liquid crystal’s capacity to shift horizontally.
To truly see how they stack up, let’s break down the differences, pros, and cons between these types of monitors and help you decide which is best for your viewing needs.
AMOLED vs. IPS Monitor Comparison: A Side-by-Side Differences
| AMOLED | IPS Monitors | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Active-matrix organic light emitting diode | In-plane switching |
| What is it? | Display technology used in electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and TVs | Screen technology for liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) |
| Display Quality | Slim in size | Thicker in size |
| Power Exhaustion | Uses less energy | Uses more power |
| When was it Conceived? | 2006 | 1996 |
| Who Invented it? | Steven Van Slyke and Ching Wan Tang | Hitachi |
| Color Contrast | Shows a high color contrast as its light is induced by pixels. It can show black anytime just by turning off LEDs. | Shows more accurate colors |
AMOLED: Complete History
In 2006, AMOLED was developed by Steven Van Slyke and Ching Wan Tang. The technology was being developed by many companies at the time, with Samsung SDI serving as one of the major investors. The BenQ-Siemens S88 mobile phone and driver Clix 2 portable media player were two of the first consumer electronics products to have an AMOLED display.
Nokia and Samsung are also among the early users of this technology. They used it in their smartphones when they released Nokia N85 and Samsung i7110 in 2008. Since then, many other manufacturers have released smartphones with AMOLED displays, including Motorola, Sony, Nokia, and Google.
What is the Future Development of AMOLED?
Samsung Foldable Smartphones
In-cell touch panels have been created by manufacturers who have integrated the construction of capacitive sensor arrays into making AMOLED modules. AU Optronics and Samsung are two manufacturers of in-cell sensor AMOLEDs. Samsung is marketing it using the name Super AMOLED.
For a novel solution-coated AMOLED display technology that is competitive in price and performance with the most recent chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology, DuPont researchers employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to optimize coating processes.
Samsung has created short and long-range film-thickness control and uniformity commercially viable at big glass diameters. They have used bespoke modeling and analytic methodologies.
AMOLED vs. IPS Monitor: What’s the Difference?
Refresh Rates
AMOLED displays typically have higher refresh rates than IPS displays, meaning that they can show more images per second and thus provide a smoother image. This also means that AMOLED displays can be better for gaming or other activities where a high frame rate is important.
©Krivosheev Vitaly/Shutterstock.com
Pixel Density
AMOLED displays typically have higher pixel densities than IPS displays — they can show more detail in an image. Additionally, AMOLED displays can be better for watching movies or other activities where a high level of detail is important.
Power Consumption
AMOLED displays typically use less power than IPS displays; they save battery life on devices that use them.
Color Accuracy
AMOLED displays also tend to have better color accuracy than IPS displays, meaning that colors will appear more accurate on an AMOLED display than on IPS monitors.
Portability
AMOLED displays are often thinner and lighter than IPS displays, making them more portable. This feature also makes them more susceptible to damage — one of the major drawbacks.
Pros and Cons of AMOLED vs. IPS Monitor
Let’s discuss the pros and cons of AMOLED and IPS monitors.
| Pros of AMOLED | Cons of AMOLED | Pros of IPS | Cons of IPS monitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMOLED has vibrant colors, which are good for a person looking for good videos and photos. It has an excellent contrast ratio. | It is pricey. That is because the production cost is high. If you compare the devices using a larger screen, you will note that the prices are high too. | It has low production costs. That is because it has been in the market for a while, and production cost is taken care of. | It doesn’t achieve deep blacks or whites. The colors it displays are not 100%. |
| Each pixel on display has a separate RGB LED; thus, the screen must turn off those pixels to display black. So, if the color is black, it will come out dark. That means you will achieve true black colors in your images. | AMOLED screens can burn fast. As the screen ages, the pixels may become “stuck,” and present a particular color or a picture over time, which may display an icon’s shadow. | It is long-lasting. Unlike the AMOLED which burns faster, IPS monitors give long service. | It consumes much power, especially if you compare it with AMOLED. |
| AMOLED consumes less energy, making it super energy-efficient. That is because it can independently illuminate pixels and leave some entirely off. It consumes less by 10x if you compare it with IPS. | The entire screen may stop displaying if one pixel is broken. Frequently, the glass covering the AMOLED display will break or crack first, meaning it is not durable. | The color gamut is good because they reflect more naturally. | It has a lower refresh and response time compared to AMOLED. |
| It displays the white color more vibrantly. | If you look at the colors in direct sunlight, they look brighter. | It is thicker than AMOLED. That is because it has a backlight. | |
| It is reliable compared to AMOLED. This is because it has been in existence for a while. |
AMOLED vs. LCD IPS Monitors. Which is Better? Which One Should You Use?
AMOLED and IPS technology have their distinctive pros and cons. If you want to decide which one to use, then it is a difficult decision. When you look at the comparison table, you will discover that both technologies produce vibrant colors, thus enhancing your photos and video.
AMOLED panels are a perfect choice if you are in the entertainment industry. They have brilliant, oversaturated colors, deeper blacks, and wide viewing angles. Since they have a quicker pixel reaction time, they are suitable for fast-paced gaming.
©Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com
However, you can’t ignore their displaying technologies where AMOLED panels are not long-lasting. They have a short lifespan due to their fast pixel degradation. Though most manufacturers note that they have improved on this factor, you can’t be sure.
When it comes to buying products with AMOLED screens like smartphones, the price is higher than the IPS ones. Thus, if you have a minimum budget, your best bet will be IPS.
In terms of power usage, AMOLED is more efficient. For instance, if you have a phone with an AMOLED screen, it is easy to minimize power usage. You can opt for a black theme which will constantly reduce power consumption; with an IPS, that is not possible.
AMOLED and IPS monitors have their differences, and which is better between the two will depend on our specific preferences. Based on the specs, we pick AMOLED as the best because of its vibrant colors, nice viewing angle, friendliness to the eyes, and use of less power.
Next Up…
Check out some of our other interesting articles, you may learn something:
