Best Display – Which phone has the best display?

 

What makes a good mobile phone display?

 

A smartphone is nothing without its display – it’s probably the single most important part of a device; it wouldn’t function without one.

 

While all smartphones have a display, sometimes they just don’t deliver in terms of quality – there’s no use in owning a smartphone with an excellent processor capable of delivering amazing graphics if the screen can't display them.

 

That being said, it’s not essential to own a device with the best display possible, unless you specifically want a great viewing experience. But, if you’re planning on using your smartphone for gaming, streaming or photography, a good quality display is the way to go.

 

So, what makes a good display? You should be looking for devices which sport great colour reproduction, high brightness capabilities, sunlight visibility, saturation and adaptable features, such as blue light filters and automatic brightness.

 

Whilst it’s not always possible to try a smartphone out before purchasing, there are a few specs that indicate whether or not a device sports a top of the line display – as a rule of thumb, OLED or AMOLED screens can provide a cleaner and crisper image than an LCD display whilst using less power. A higher resolution and pixel density (PPI) is also preferable.

 

However, we know looking for a high-quality screen can get a little technical, so we’ve collated a list of smartphones currently on the market with the best displays – to point you in the right direction!

 

Top 10 mobile phones with the best display

 

1. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

• Super AMOLED 6.4-inch screen
• 1440 x 3040 resolution
• 552ppi

The S10 Plus has, arguably, the best smartphone display currently on the market. This device effortlessly creates a clean and defined image with vibrant colour that doesn’t dull in direct sunlight – this display even has a fingerprint scanner embedded in it.

It’s powered by the impressive Snapdragon 855 chipset along with a sizeable 4,100 mAh battery, making it a favourite for gamers and streamers.

It also features a 12MP + 12MP + 16MP rear camera and a 10MP + 8MP front camera which are able to produce extremely high-quality photos – meaning this screen had to match in quality in order to view them.

 

2.Apple iPhone XS Max

• OLED 6.5-inch screen
• 1242 x 2688 resolution
• 458ppi

One of the first iPhones on the market to hold its own in terms of display is the XS Max. Its OLED panel delivering the Super Retina HD display is bright, colourful and vivid.

 

It’s an extremely sharp screen – you can really witness the clarity when looking at text as letters appear extremely defined.

 

This device also supports HDR, meaning streaming and gaming will look breath-takingly clear, vivid and bold.

 

The XS Max is the perfect choice for an Apple fan hunting the ultimate display experience.

 

3.Samsung Galaxy S10

• Super AMOLED 6.1-inch screen
• 1440 x 3040
• 550ppi

While the S10+ already topped this list, it’s a testament to Samsung’s commitment to display innovation to find the S10 comes in third place.

 

Everything still stands in terms of display – it’s an amazing screen, powerful enough to do the cutting-edge cameras and processor justice, but just in a smaller package.

 

Plus, who can deny the stylish look that the Infinity-O display and hole punch front camera provides?

 

4.OnePlus 6T

• AMOLED 6.41-inch screen
• 2340 x 1080 resolution
• 402ppi

The OnePlus 6T entered the market to wow tech fanatics and consumers alike.

 

On paper, with it not being Super AMOLED or a QHD display, the screen doesn’t seem that it’s set to impress – by all means it seems decent, but not up there with the likes of the Samsung S10.

 

However, it’s relatively low resolution working with the AMOLED technology defies the odds and produces a fantastic image and colour quality that’s highly impressive and makes for a fantastic viewing experience.

 

Plus, the fingerprint scanner of the OnePlus 6T is actually embedded into the screen, making it futuristic and lends to its simplistic, modern design.

 

5.Huawei Mate 20 Pro

• OLED 6.39-inch screen
• 1440 x 3120 resolution
• 538ppi

With the Mate 20 Pro, Huawei really pushed the boundaries of what their screens had been able to achieve before.

 

This stunning display produces unbelievably high-quality images which are defined, clean and crisp – not to mention colourful and vibrant.

 

It also provides loads of features that allow you to customise your display, such as blue-light and brightness filters – allowing you to adapt this phone to the task at hand.

 

6.Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Super AMOLED 6.4-inch screen
• 1440 x 2960 resolution
• 516ppi

Samsung are known for their impressive screens, and the Note 9 is really no exception. Despite another generation of Samsung devices coming onto the market, the Note 9's remains one of the best.

 

It’s stylish – having almost no bezels and an Infinity Display which allows pixels to work even on its curved edges – but it’s also super bright and crisp.

 

This screen is able to go super bright and holds a really good contrast ratio, meaning it delivers a stunning display in even the sunniest conditions.

 

7.Samsung Galaxy S9

• Super AMOLED 5.8-inch screen
• 1440 x 2960 resolution
• 570ppi

Another Samsung reigning supreme in the display world is the famous S9 which stunned users back in early 2018 when it was released.

Building on the greatness of the S8 before it, the S9 continued to fine tune its AMOLED technology and reflective capabilities to deliver an exceptionally high definition image.

As well as this, the S9 allows you to configure a really in-depth range of display settings, allowing you to fine tune the screen to display exactly how you’d like. It’s intelligent – even auto-brightness learns your preferred settings through your continued use.

 

8.Google Pixel 3 XL

• P-OLED 6.3-inch screen
• 1440 x 2960 resolution
• 523ppi

The Google Pixel 3XL displays a highly impressive and high-quality image for its LED screen. It’s a large screen, providing lots of space for streaming and gaming. It produces colour extremely well and its images are clean and defined.

 

It also has a very distinctive design – its deep notch houses the camera and speakers and allows that little bit more room that’s often invaded by a bezel. While, looking forward throughout the year, we expect to see more water drop and hole punch notches, the Pixel 3XL will still hold an outstanding display.

 

9.Apple iPhone XS

• OLED 5.8-inch screen
• 1125 x 2436 resolution
• 458ppi

The smaller version of the XS Max that won second place also comes second to last. Apple undeniably improved in terms of display with the XS series, broadening exponentially the spectrum of colours they are able to produce.

 

However, this new ability to produce amazing colours didn’t mean the XS became saturated – quite the opposite. It was able to recreate colours brilliantly – quite simply, the screen produces some of the most natural images of any smartphones on the market.

 

10.Honor View 20

• IPS LCD 6.4-inch screen
• 1080 x 2310 resolution
• 398ppi

 

While this screen is an LCD rather than an OLED and its pixel density is perhaps a little lower than the rest, the Honor View 20 still definitely deserves a spot in the 2019 top ten.

 

Its colour range is magnificent and super vivid – all while maintaining a crisp and clean image. It’s also super adaptable, meaning you can flit between a natural look to a crazily saturated display with ease – which is great if you like to adapt your viewing to certain tasks.

 

Displays of the future

 

While all of these displays are ridiculously impressive and provide more clarity, colour and accuracy than arguably any other tech we’ve seen before, there are definitely new smartphones on the way that you're going to love.

 

Whether it be design or quality, manufacturers are pushing out the boat further and further. The upcoming Sony Xperia 1 and Huawei Mate 30 Pro devices set to be released later this year are going to be 4K ready, and devices following trends of screen embedded scanners and tiny, hole punch notches, we’re sure to only get bigger, better screens in the future.