Samsung Galaxy Nexus screen held back by subpar subpixels

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Though the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus sports a 720p HD display, its 4.65-inch screen is said to be held back by cheaper technology that gives it a lower pixel density and poorer color accuracy than Apple's Retina Display found on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4.



The Galaxy Nexus features a display branded "Super AMOLED" by Samsung, which is less than the "Super AMOLED Plus" screen featured on the already-available Galaxy S II smartphone. The removal of "Plus" from the name references that the screen uses a cheaper PenTile OLED, despite the fact that it has more pixels per inch, according to FlatPanelsHD.



The less expensive panel on the Galaxy Nexus means that individual pixels must share subpixels on the screen, which undercuts the 315 pixel-per-inch density of the Galaxy Nexus display.



"A PenTile OLED panel was recently introduced with the Samsung Galaxy Note, and we were not impressed," the site said. "In real world PenTile means loss of details and sharpness, as well as a bluish/greenish tint around letters (depending on the background color)."



By calculating the "real" pixel density of the display with the PenTile subpixel sharing, the Galaxy Nexus is said to have a pixel-per-inch number of about 200, which is just slightly higher than the Super AMOLED Plus screen on the Galaxy S II.



"So, the HD Super AMOLED display in the new Galaxy Nexus is not as awesome as it sounds -- unfortunately," author Rasmus Larsen wrote. "And the reason that people do not call it a Retina display should seem much more obvious to you now that you know the underlying technical architecture."



The pixel density numbers of the Galaxy Nexus are also affected by the fact that the new flagship Android device has a large 4.65-inch screen to fill. For comparison, the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 feature a display more than an inch smaller diagonally, at 3.5 inches.







Apple made the term "Retina Display" part of its marketing with the launch of the iPhone 4 in 2010. The name was chosen because Apple says the individual pixels are so small and densely packed that they cannot be seen by the human eye. The iPhone 4 and its follow-up, the newly released iPhone 4S, feature a pixel-per-inch density of 326.



There were rumors that Apple's latest iPhone would sport a slightly larger screen, running edge-to-edge on a device with about the same size as the iPhone 4. But those rumors proved to be false, as the iPhone 4S sports the same form factor and same display as the iPhone 4.



Rumors have suggested that Apple will bring its branded Retina Display to the iPad with its third-generation model starting in 2012. One report claimed the new high-resolution displays are 2,047 by 1,536 pixels packed into the same 9.7-inch screen size as previous iPad models.



Rather than embrace AMOLED screens like many Android device makers, including Samsung and its new Galaxy Nexus, Apple has instead chosen to stick with LCD screens for its Retina Displays. Those LCD screens feature in-plane switching (IPS), which allow for picture and color accuracy at extreme viewing angles.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 199
    Quote:

    which allow for picture and color accuracy at extreme viewing angles.



    ...but relatively poor black-levels.
  • Reply 2 of 199
    Dan_DilgerDan_Dilger Posts: 1,583member
    I new the minute I saw that headline that this was written by DED.



    Oh wait, never mind. Apparently the problems with Android are not just the conspiracy cocktails of one person, but fetid, gravid and endemic.
  • Reply 3 of 199
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by redbarchetta View Post


    ...but relatively poor black-levels.



    There are always tradeoffs and compromises with such young technology.



    "I want it all, I want it all, I want it all....."
  • Reply 4 of 199
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dickprinter View Post


    There are always tradeoffs and compromises with such young technology.



    "I want it all, I want it all, I want it all....."



    Quoting people that have used the device...



    "The panel looks downright gorgeous, with unbeatable viewing angles, remarkably crisp text and graphics and a beautiful feel as one swipes across it"



    Find a single bad first impression of the screen. Tip: You can't. It's still super amoled. Even when compared side by side with any iphone 4.



    Pentile Matrix has better outdoor performance, white performance, and better battery life. At that PPI, you would have to put it under a microscope to see subpixels.



    Not sure why this article is trying to imply that the iphone4's screen is any better.... I sure hope everyone has compared things like black performance between an iphone's LCD display and any amoled display



    It's fun to watch you guys dig to the bottom of the barrel to try and find something wrong with it.
  • Reply 5 of 199
    ivladivlad Posts: 742member
    But wait for "Super AMOLED qHD 3D PLUS F.ART" it will be the next big thing!

    Seriously, can we already drop these stupid "new" screen names. It's getting ridiculous.
  • Reply 6 of 199
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MaroonMushroom View Post


    Quoting people that have used the device...



    "The panel looks downright gorgeous, with unbeatable viewing angles, remarkably crisp text and graphics and a beautiful feel as one swipes across it"



    Find a single bad first impression of the screen. Tip: You can't. It's still super amoled. Even when compared side by side with any iphone 4.



    Pentile Matrix has better outdoor performance, white performance, and better battery life. At that PPI, you would have to put it under a microscope to see subpixels.



    Not sure why this article is trying to imply that the iphone4's screen is any better.... I sure hope everyone has compared things like black performance between an iphone's LCD display and any amoled display



  • Reply 7 of 199
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Corrections View Post


    I new the minute I saw that headline that this was written by DED.



    Oh wait, never mind. Apparently the problems with Android are not just the conspiracy cocktails of one person, but fetid, gravid and endemic.



    The problem with the Nexus display is not technically a "problem with Android." This time.
  • Reply 8 of 199
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Corrections View Post


    I new the minute I saw that headline that this was written by DED.



    Non sequitur. Stick to the topic.
  • Reply 9 of 199
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MaroonMushroom View Post


    Quoting people that have used the device...



    "The panel looks downright gorgeous, with unbeatable viewing angles, remarkably crisp text and graphics and a beautiful feel as one swipes across it"



    Find a single bad first impression of the screen. Tip: You can't. It's still super amoled. Even when compared side by side with any iphone 4.



    Pentile Matrix has better outdoor performance, white performance, and better battery life. At that PPI, you would have to put it under a microscope to see subpixels.



    Not sure why this article is trying to imply that the iphone4's screen is any better.... I sure hope everyone has compared things like black performance between an iphone's LCD display and any amoled display



    It's fun to watch you guys dig to the bottom of the barrel to try and find something wrong with it.



    Less pixels per inch.
  • Reply 10 of 199
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by redbarchetta View Post


    ...but relatively poor black-levels.



    Actually not.



    The contrast levels on IPS screens are absolutely amazing and better than any other screen by a country mile with the one exception of AMOLED. To characterise the excellent although admittedly "second best" contrast of Apple's screens as "poor" is extremely misleading at best.
  • Reply 11 of 199
    galbigalbi Posts: 968member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    Actually not.



    The contrast levels on IPS screens are absolutely amazing and better than any other screen by a country mile with the one exception of AMOLED. To characterise the excellent although admittedly "second best" contrast of Apple's screens as "poor" is extremely misleading at best.



    Using that same logic, to label the pixel density or color accuracy as worst is "extremely misleading at best" as well.



    What that site doesnt know is OLED's inherent nature of color reproduction produces in excess of NTSC's standard broadcast levels.



    Most LCD's only product at max around 82% of the color gamut of a NTSC color gamut.



    AMOLED's produce 100% of the NTSC color gamut.



    That site has absolutely NO credibility nor does it have any documented scientific evidence to suggest otherwise.



    The picture in the comparison is that of the OLD Pentile display and not the NEW Pentile display.
  • Reply 12 of 199
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


    Less pixels per inch.



    Galaxy Nexus is at 315

    Iphone is at 326



    \ huge difference.



    amoled will outperform the LCD any day
  • Reply 13 of 199
    ssquirrelssquirrel Posts: 1,196member
    Typo:



    " One report claimed the new high-resolution displays are 2,047 by 1,536 pixels packed into the same 9.7-inch screen size as previous iPad models."



    2048x1536 would be double the current iPad resolution.



    MM>Yes 326 vs 315 are both over the magic 300 mark, but the shared sub pixels makes for a less accurate picture. I'll reserve judgment till I can actually see the 2 in person side by side, but PenTile = bad
  • Reply 14 of 199
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MaroonMushroom View Post


    Galaxy Nexus is at 315

    Iphone is at 326



    \ huge difference.



    amoled will outperform the LCD any day



    Not in precise colour reproduction it won't, especially pentile.
  • Reply 15 of 199
    gustavgustav Posts: 827member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Corrections View Post


    I new the minute I saw that headline that this was written by DED.

    .



    Who or what is DED?
  • Reply 16 of 199
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


    Less pixels per inch.



    315~ compared to what? 326? anything over 300 is invisible to the naked eye...according to some people. I don't know for fact.
  • Reply 17 of 199
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SSquirrel View Post




    I'll reserve judgment till I can actually see the 2 in person side by side, but PenTile = bad



    This anyone can agree with.



    I read that the trade off was because they hadn't yet perfected an RGB version of that HD screen that wasn't also a complete battery drain.
  • Reply 18 of 199
    I just don't understand the level of hypocrisy around here. The iPhone does very well from a user experience perspective in spite of the fact that its specs are generally (though not always) inferior to high end Android phones. Whenever specs (processor speed, camera MP, screen size, NFC, etc.) are brought up to imply that the iPhone is behind the curve, the ensuing ruckus could wake the dead. Clearly you all agree that lower specs don't necessarily diminish the quality of a well-designed product. With that in mind, why pan this display, which none of you have seen, when by all accounts it will lead to a wonderful user experience?
  • Reply 19 of 199
    gwlaw99gwlaw99 Posts: 134member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MaroonMushroom View Post


    Galaxy Nexus is at 315

    Iphone is at 326



    \ huge difference.



    amoled will outperform the LCD any day



    Here is an analysis of subpixel density by Anandtech. The Nexus has about 2/3ds subpixel density of the iphone. Granted, the screen is about 60% bigger. So it is a trade off depending on what you like and what you see with your eyes. Personally, I want a 4" screen on any high end phone. iphone is too small for my taste and Android is too big. Maybe the iPhone 5 next summer. Good thing I have an iPad to curb my gadget lust.
  • Reply 20 of 199
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


    Not in precise colour reproduction it won't, especially pentile.



    Super AMOLED doesn't produce natural colors, but neither does iPhone's IPS display.



    Undersaturated != Natural.



    http://www.displaymate.com/iPhone_4_ShootOut.htm



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AbsoluteDesignz View Post


    I read that the trade off was because they hadn't yet perfected an RGB version of that HD screen that wasn't also a complete battery drain.



    They also have to save something for SGSIII.
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