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The best phone displays in 2024

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Dec 02, 2024, 4:18 AM

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What constitutes a great phone display? Is it the high resolution and pixel density? These days, it seems that most phones have that figured out with crisp detail on most phones out there.

So is it about the high brightness and contrast that offer good outdoor visibility in the sun outdoors? That is certainly a competitive area as each year we are getting slightly brighter displays.

But then we have other considerations like color accuracy and calibration. Throw in dynamically-adjusted refresh rate based on the content displayed in the mix, and now, you've narrowed it down to only the best choices. We have rounded them right below.

Smartphones with the best quality displays:

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — innovative display with anti-glare coating and excellent other characteristics
iPhone 16 Pro Max — bright screen with great color accuracy
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL — top three color-credible display in PhoneArena's benchmark database, 120Hz 1440p display
OnePlus 12 — great quality display on a less expensive flagship

	Bright max(20%APL)Higher is better	Bright minLower is better	Color temp	Gamma	Delta E rgbcmyLower is better	Delta E grayscaleLower is better
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra	2310 (Excellent)	1.1 (Good)	6543	1.93	2.86 (Good)	6.45 (Average)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max	2088 (Excellent)	0.93 (Excellent)	6174	2.21	2.28 (Good)	5.66 (Average)
OnePlus 12	2176 (Excellent)	1.8 (Good)	6464	2.31	1.45 (Excellent)	4.11 (Average)
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL	2679 (Excellent)	1.9 (Good)	6731	2.26	1.39 (Excellent)	4.98 (Average)

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The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set(area)of colors that a display can reproduce,with the sRGB colorspace(the highlighted triangle)serving as reference.The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x:CIE31' and 'y:CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.

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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

6.8-inch LTPO 12-bit HDR panel
Granular 1Hz-120Hz dynamic refresh rate
Resolution: 1440p
Pixel density: 501ppi
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Armor (Anti-glare treatment for amazing outdoor visibility)
Very bright mobile panel
Active digitizer with S Pen stylus support

Pay attention to that “brightest” part and the 1Hz-120Hz specs at the full 1440p resolution. Yes, that means that the S24 Ultra is equipped with the newest LTPO OLED display technology that allowed for high 1750nits of peak brightness and 15% less battery consumption. Also, the dynamically-allocated refresh rate that can go down to 1Hz when you are looking at static images, or rev up all the way to 120Hz when you scroll.

But the real star of the show here is the new anti-reflection coating that just destroys reflection and makes this screen very easy to use outdoors. No other phone is using this technology yet, but we wish they would.

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology (adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz)
Size: 6.9-inch (diagonal) all-screen OLED display
Resolution: 2868-by-1320-pixel resolution
Pixel density: 460 ppi
Protection: Ceramic Shield (better protection against drops)

The iPhone 16 Pro Max display is similar in quality to the previous generation, but that doesn't make it any less impressive.

The one key difference is that this newer display can go down to a minimum brightness of 1 nit, which helps tremendously with bedtime use.

Otherwise, you have excellent color accuracy and crispy clear detail.

Pixel 9 Pro XL

LTPO OLED with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and HDR10+
Size: 6.8 inches
Resolution: 1344 x 2992 pixels
Pixel Density: ~486 ppi
Aspect Ratio: 20:9
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2

The new Pixel flagship phone raises the bar with screen quality.

As with many phones, screen panels are sourced from multiple companies, so there might be some slight differences between units. For the Pixel 9, it's either a Samsung display or one made by BOE.

On a 20% white window, we measured brightness reaches nearly 2,700 nits, the brightest on any phone we have tested so far. You don't get Samsung's excellent anti-reflective coating, but that boost in brightness certainly helps with outdoor viewing.

OnePlus 12

Type: 6.8-inch 2K 120Hz ProXDR Display with LTPO
Resolution: 3168 x 1440 pixels (QHD+)
Aspect Ratio: 19.8:9
Pixel Density: 510 ppi
Refresh Rate: Adaptive 1-120Hz
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Other features: 2160Hz PWM dimming for reduced eye strain

The OnePlus 12 delivers excellent display quality at a much lower price than other flagships.

It gets plenty bright, reaching levels similar to that of other flagships, and it uses high-frequency PWM dimming, so users who might have more sensitive eyes, will feel more comfortable using this screen.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.