In modern society, displays are everywhere, found in smartphones, computers, iPads, and smartwatches. Displays have become an essential part of information interaction, providing us with a wealth of information daily. The development of screens has gone through decades of updates and iterations, leading to a diverse range of materials and specifications available in the market. How much do you know about the materials used in everyday smartphone and computer displays? Today, let’s explore the history and evolution of screens.
For consumers, the most intuitive feeling about smartphone screens is the transition from black and white to color, and the original small screens have continuously grown larger, culminating in today’s full-screen designs. Ten years ago, we were torn between choosing slide phones, flip phones, or candy bar phones, but now we have completely moved past that dilemma. The change in smartphone materials is the main reason for the variations in screen color and size. The more colors a screen can display, the more complex images it can represent, resulting in richer visual layers. Currently, the mainstream screen materials in the market are mainly two categories: LCD and OLED.
In the early years when smartphones began to gain traction, LCD screens, with their high color fidelity and continuously maturing production processes, led the market for many years. LCD, which stands for “Liquid Crystal Display,” is a material that exists between solid and liquid states and does not emit light by itself; it requires LED backlighting for support. Within LCD technology, there are different types such as TFT, IPS, and SLCD. TFT screens are characterized by high brightness and contrast but consume a lot of power and are costly. IPS screens are an upgraded version of TFT, consuming relatively less power and providing more accurate color reproduction. SLCD is a display screen specifically designed for splicing, representing a higher-end display technology within the LCD category, providing a more realistic color reproduction that is easier on the eyes.
The other major category, OLED screens, refers to “Organic Light Emitting Diodes.” They appeared later and can support fingerprint recognition on the screen, making them a popular choice for many high-end models. OLED screens are significantly more expensive than LCD screens, but they consume less power, allowing devices with OLED screens to offer a better battery life experience. OLED screens display colors more vividly and richly, but they can be more straining on the eyes compared to the natural display method of LCD screens. Fortunately, many smartphones now come with eye protection modes that alleviate this issue to some extent. OLED screens can also be divided into passive OLED (PMOLED) and active OLED (AMOLED). Among them, AMOLED screens can be curved, have a wider color gamut, and exhibit superior responsiveness. OLED technology is continually evolving, with the recent hype around foldable smartphones utilizing flexible OLED screen technology, indicating a broader application prospect for OLED screens in the future.
Technological development presents a stair-step pattern, where the birth of each new material or display technology brings about a better user experience. As consumers, understanding the advancements in technology enables us to make better purchasing decisions. At the same time, technology is truly changing people’s lifestyles.
This article has been scientifically reviewed by Associate Professor Zhang Zhongbao from the Computer Science and Technology Research Department of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.