Turning on all devices in a dark room, it’s arguable to say that the Samsung Galaxy S III and Nokia Lumia 900 would grab some attention for their overly saturated color tones, which undoubtedly carries along the higher wow factor amongst normal Joes. Seeing that these two specific handsets rely on AMOLED technology, they’re able to tantalize us with their vibrant color reproduction – while simultaneously producing the most pure black color. In fact, it’s rather difficult to know where the edges of their screens end because the color black turns out, well, black as night as some would say. At the same time, however, the color white is usually tainted with some bluish hues, which doesn’t make it accurate looking. Come to think of it, that’s a common trait amongst AMOLED panels in general.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have the Super-LCD 2 panel of the HTC One X, which also has a hint of oversaturation with its color reproduction. Rather than having a cooler appearance like its AMOLED counterparts, its colors tend to appear warmer looking in tone – resulting in the color white exhibiting some yellowish tones. Furthermore, there’s some hint of grey attached to the color black, but it’s still pleasant looking for the most part. Lastly, the iPhone 5’s IPS-LCD screen is actually the most accurate one of the bunch when it comes to color reproduction – albeit, it also has a hint of saturation too, but it isn’t as prevalent than what’s seen on the HTC One X.
Therefore, if we were to judge it purely on accuracy, the iPhone 5 would clearly win this one by a longshot, as it closely replicates the most natural looking colors. However, if we’re talking about the wow factor, then it’d have to be the AMOLED panels found with the Samsung Galaxy S III and Lumia 900 that would stand head above water.
Viewing Angles:
When it matters most, such as looking at them directly at a 90-degree angle, we can visually make out the items on-screen with each of the four displays – so yeah, no problem in this aspect. However, as we begin to tilt each handset to see if they maintain their crisp appearances, that’s when we begin to see some noticeable differences between the bunch. Again, the Samsung Galaxy S III and Nokia Lumia 900 seem to fare well in this category, as they maintain their clarity at moderate and extreme viewing angles. Specifically, colors retain their vibrancy without the expense of any washed out looks as we increasingly tilt them more and more. Showing some improvement over its predecessor, the iPhone 5 comes in next, since it doesn’t fall victim to the slight dullness exhibited by the HTC One X with the color black. Nevertheless, we’d classify all four smartphones as having above average viewing angles compared to other devices out there, but as we need to point out all of their strengths and weaknesses, it’s the handsets using AMOLED panels that shine the most.
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers at https://www.parsintl.com/phonearena or use the Reprints & Permissions tool that appears at the bottom of each web page. Visit https://www.parsintl.com/ for samples and additional information.
