Screens are slowly becoming the dominant surface our eyes focus on. A computer screen is a device that displays an image to a user. The display does this by arranging a matrix of tiny dots called pixels in such a way that it forms an image. However, not all displays are created equal. There are different types of displays that serve different purposes. Two dominant display types are IPS and OLED. They are used extensively in mobile devices.
An IPS panel is a type of LCD panel. An image is drawn onto a screen and then made visible via a backlight. The backlight is typically a white LED light that illuminates the surface of the panel evenly. The result is a bright and crisp image.
- Accurate colors- These displays can be made to be very consistent. Color accuracy is usually not an issue. As such, these displays would be ideal for digital artists.
- Stable response time- Having a constant framerate is good for standards compliance. An IPS display’s response time is adequate and is very reliable.
- Bright backlight enables outdoor use- The use of a backlight makes the screen more visible while in sunlight. This reason alone makes an IPS display a good choice for any mobile device.
- Depends on backlight- The dependency on a backlight almost makes the display feel obsolete. There is light that bleeds from the screen even when displaying purely black images. Technology has emerged that eliminates this problem in other displays.
An OLED panel does not use a backlight. The light for each pixel on the screen is provided by the pixel itself. Rather than having a few LED lights to illuminate an entire screen, an OLED panel uses millions of tiny LED lights and switches them off and on as they are needed. OLED panels are used in many mobile devices, but are making inroads to use in televisions and computer monitors.
- High contrast- Because of the nature of LED lights, the display is capable of displaying images with higher contrast levels.
- Deep blacks- The OLED design leaves the backlight behind. Instead, the light from the screen is provided by each pixel. The pixel is illuminated as it is needed. Each pixel is independent from one another. That means that a dark or black pixel will not emit light. This display allows the display of true black as in the absense of light.
- Wide viewing angles- Again, because there is no backlight, the panel does not rely on light filtering tricks to achieve a bright image. Since these filters aren’t in place, the pixels are at the surface and are nearly perfectly visible even at wide angles.
- Night use- Thanks to the display’s ability to illuminate only parts of the screen as needed, it is possible to use the display at night with less strain on the eyes.
- Flexible- The application of displays is sure to grow. Many new appliances are created with extra functionality that utilize a screen. OLED screens can be made flexible. This enables the use of screens on flexible surfaces or surfaces that are curved.
- Vulnerable to burn in- The longevity of the LED pixels is a problem. It is especially noticeable when a static image is displayed on the screen over a long period of time. The image will seemingly burn itself onto the screen. This is because the LED begins to degrade.
- Short lifespan- Screen burn-in is one problem. Another, more general problem is that LED lights of each color degrades at a different rate. This means that over time, as the display ages, its colors becomes less and less accurate.