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Galaxy Note8 OLED Display Technology Shoot-Out

 

Dr. Raymond M. Soneira

President, DisplayMate Technologies Corporation

 

Copyright © 1990-2017 by DisplayMate Technologies Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

This article, or any part thereof, may not be copied, reproduced, mirrored, distributed or incorporated

into any other work without the prior written permission of DisplayMate Technologies Corporation

 

 

 

Galaxy S8

 

Galaxy Note8

 

Introduction

The key element for a great Smartphone has always been a truly innovative and top performing display, and the best leading edge Smartphones have always flaunted their super high tech displays. It is the display performance that determines how good and how beautiful everything on the Smartphone looks, including the camera photos and all of your Apps, and also how readable and how usable the screen is in high ambient lighting. The Display is the crown jewel of the Smartphone!

 

The Galaxy Note8 is Samsung’s newest flagship Smartphone with the latest most advanced state-of-the-art Flexible OLED Display together with a radical new Full Display Screen design that fills almost the entire front face of the phone, providing a significantly larger display without increasing the size of the phone. The Galaxy Note series and Galaxy S series are how Samsung shows off their latest and greatest OLED displays and display technology. Samsung has been alternately releasing one of these models every six months, so there are two OLED generations every year.

 

Every new OLED generation has provided significant enhancements and improvements, so they have improved rapidly and regularly leapfrog each other in display performance. The Galaxy Note8 display extends and improves on the very innovative Galaxy S8 that we tested and reviewed in March 2017. With mobile OLED display technology now advancing faster than ever, there are many important new display performance enhancements.

 

· The display on the Galaxy Note8 has not only major improvements in the OLED display hardware, but also many new and enhanced display features and display functions that we will cover in detail.

 

· The 6.3 inch display is 20% larger in screen area than the Galaxy S8 and 14% larger than previous Galaxy Note displays, without increasing the size of the phone, which is accomplished by reducing the borders around the display.

 

· Another very noticeable and major improvement for the Galaxy Note8 is the display is 22% Brighter than the Galaxy S8, with a Peak Display Brightness of over 1,200 nits, a new Record for Smartphones, which provides significantly improved display performance and screen readability in challenging indoor and outdoor high ambient light viewing conditions.

 

The Galaxy Note8 has the latest dual-edge curved screen Flexible OLEDs, which continue to be developed and manufactured by Samsung Display. They were first introduced on the Galaxy Note4 Edge in 2014 by Samsung Electronics, which makes the Galaxy Smartphones.

 

While the OLED display itself is flexible, the screen remains rigid under an outer hard cover glass that is hot formed into a rigid curved screen. The curved screen provides two additional user configurable Edge Screen areas that can be viewed from both the front or the sides, and even when the phone is placed face down. With the Always On Display mode the Edge Screen can even be used as a Night Clock for your bedside table.

 

In this article we lab test, measure, analyze, and evaluate in depth the display on the Galaxy Note8. This is an independent scientific objective lab test and analysis of OLED displays written for consumers and journalists. It is the latest edition in our seven year article series that has lab tested, tracked and analyzed the development of mobile OLED displays and display technology, from its early beginnings in 2010, when OLED displays started out in last place, into a rapidly improving and evolving display technology that now has a commanding first place lead and continues pushing ahead aggressively.

 

The Galaxy Note8 is the latest model in a new generation of OLED Smartphones that have a Full Screen Display design. It is the most innovative and high performance Smartphone display that we have ever lab tested, earning DisplayMate’s highest ever A+ grade.

 

Some Galaxy Note8 Display Highlights

These are just some of the Galaxy Note8 Display Highlights that we will be covering in detail throughout the article:

 

· A new 3K Higher Resolution 2960 x 1440 display that fills almost the entire front face of the phone from edge-to-edge, resulting in a larger 6.3 inch display with a 15% taller height to width Aspect Ratio of 18.5 : 9 = 2.05 than the 16 : 9 = 1.78 on most Smartphones.

 

· A new and accurate full 100% DCI-P3 Color Gamut that is also used for 4K TVs. Plus it is certified by the UHD Alliance for Mobile HDR Premium, which allows it to play all of the latest content produced for 4K UHD Premium TVs.

 

· The Native Color Gamut of the Galaxy Note8 is even larger, the result of its new high saturation “Deep Red” OLED, resulting in a very impressive 112% of DCI-P3 and 141% of sRGB / Rec.709 Gamuts that also produces better on-screen Colors in High Ambient Light.

 

· The Galaxy Note8 provides up to 22% Higher Screen Brightness than the Galaxy S8, with a record Peak Display Brightness of over 1,200 nits.

 

The full set of Galaxy Note8 Display Highlights are listed below under What’s New and What’s Improved.

 

Comparing the Galaxy Note8 and the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ Displays

The Galaxy Note8 has a 6.3 inch (5.7” x 2.8”) curved screen OLED display. For comparison, the Galaxy S8 has a 5.8 inch (5.2” x 2.5”) curved screen OLED display, and the Galaxy S8+ has a 6.2 inch (5.6” x 2.7”) curved screen display. The Galaxy Note8 display is 14% larger in screen area than previous Galaxy Note displays and 20% larger in screen area than the Galaxy S8.

 

Both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ models have the same display performance specifications (other than screen size) and the same 3K 2960x1440 resolution. For the detailed test results see our article on the Galaxy S8 Display Technology Shoot-Out. In this article we will regularly compare the Galaxy Note8 to the Galaxy S8 displays.

 

Article Overview

This article has the following major sections:

 

· What’s New

 

· What’s Improved

 

· Highlights and Performance Results

 

· Galaxy Note8 Conclusions

 

· The Future of OLED Smartphones

 

· Improving the Next Generation of Mobile Displays

 

· Lab Measurements and Comparison Table

 

What’s New

The Galaxy Note8 has the following major new display performance features and display functions, many which it shares with the Galaxy S8, and which we cover in detail throughout the article:

 

· A new larger 6.3 inch Full Screen Display that fills almost the entire front face of the Galaxy Note8 from edge-to-edge. Its display is 20% larger in screen area than the Galaxy S8 and 14% larger than previous Galaxy Note displays. The Home button and Navigations buttons are now incorporated within the touchscreen display.

 

· A new display form factor with a taller height to width Aspect Ratio of 18.5 : 9 = 2.05, which is 15% larger than the 16 : 9 = 1.78 on most Smartphones (and widescreen TVs) because the display now has the same overall shape as the entire phone. It is taller in Portrait mode and wider in Landscape mode. This provides extra space for Notifications and for displaying multiple Apps and content simultaneously on-screen side-by-side.

 

· A new 3K Higher Resolution 2960 x 1440 Quad HD+ display with 521 pixels per inch.

 

· Support for 4 Screen Modes and 3 Standard Color Gamuts with High Absolute Color Accuracy based on our extensive lab measurements.

 

· A new full 100% DCI-P3 Color Gamut and Digital Cinema mode that is also used for 4K Ultra HD TVs, so the Galaxy Note8 can display the latest high-end 4K video content. The DCI-P3 Gamut is 26 percent larger than the Rec.709 Gamut that is used in 2K Full HD TVs.

 

· The Galaxy Note8 is certified by the UHD Alliance for Mobile HDR Premium, which allows it to play all of the same 4K High Dynamic Range content produced for 4K UHD Premium TVs.

 

· A new Video Enhancer that provides HDR-like Expanded Dynamic Range for photos and videos that don’t have HDR coding.

 

· A new record high Peak Brightness of over 1,200 nits, which improves screen visibility in very high Ambient Light, and provides the high screen Brightness needed for HDR.

 

· A new user adjustable White Point with Color Balance slider controls that can change the Color of White for the Adaptive Display screen mode.

 

· New front and back Dual Ambient Light Sensors for significantly improved Automatic Brightness settings.

 

· A new Night Mode with a Blue Light Filter that allows the user to adjust and reduce the amount of blue light from the display for better night viewing and improved sleep.

 

What’s Improved

The Galaxy Note8 also has the following improved display performance features and display functions, many which it shares with the Galaxy S8, which we cover in detail throughout the article:

 

· Higher Screen Brightness that is up to 22% Brighter than the Galaxy S8.

 

· Larger Native Color Gamut with 112% DCI-P3 for better displayed Colors in High Ambient Light.

 

· Improved Absolute Color Accuracy.

 

· Improved Viewing Angle performance.

 

· Enhanced configurable Edge Display for the curved side screens.

 

· Enhanced Always On Display mode operated with IC hardware rather than App software.

 

· Enhanced Personalized Auto Brightness Control.

 

· Enhanced Image Processor for Adaptive Dynamic Brightness and Contrast Range Expansion.

 

· Enhanced Performance Modes and Power Saving Modes.

 

· Stronger curved Gorilla Glass 5 protecting the display.

 

We’ll cover all of the these display performance topics and much more, with in-depth comprehensive display tests, measurements and analysis that you will find nowhere else.

 

The Display Shoot-Out

To examine the performance of the new Galaxy Note8 OLED Display we ran our in-depth series of Mobile Display Technology Shoot-Out Lab tests and measurements in order to determine how the latest OLED displays have improved. We take display quality very seriously and provide in-depth objective analysis based on detailed laboratory tests and measurements and extensive viewing tests with both test patterns, test images and test photos. To see how far OLED and LCD mobile displays have progressed in just six years see our 2010 Smartphone Display Shoot-Out, and for a real history lesson see our original 2006 Smartphone Display Shoot-Out.

 

Samsung provided DisplayMate Technologies with pre-release production units of the Galaxy Note8 so that we could perform our well known objective and comprehensive DisplayMate Lab tests, measurements, and analysis, explaining in-depth the new display performance results for consumers, reviewers, and journalists as early as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

Color Gamuts

Click to Enlarge

 

Color Accuracy

Click to Enlarge

 

Intensity Scales

Click to Enlarge

 

Display Spectra

Click to Enlarge

 

 

Highlights and Performance Results

In this section we review and explain the principal results from the extensive DisplayMate Lab Tests and Measurements covered in the Display Shoot-Out Comparison Table under the following categories:  Display SpecificationsOverall AssessmentsScreen ReflectionsBrightness and ContrastColors and IntensitiesViewing AnglesOLED SpectraDisplay Power.

 

Main Topics Covered

This Highlights and Performance Results section has detailed information and analysis on the Galaxy Note8 display for the main topics listed below. You can skip this section and go directly to the Galaxy Note8 Conclusions.

 

· Larger Full Screen Display

 

· 3K Higher Resolution Display

 

· Multiple Screen Modes

 

· High Absolute Color Accuracy

 

· Adaptive Display Screen Mode with User Adjustable White Point

 

· Adaptive Display Screen Mode in Ambient Light

 

· Screen Brightness and Higher Automatic Brightness

 

· High Dynamic Range Mobile HDR Premium Display

 

· Front and Back Dual Ambient Light Sensors

 

· Interactive Personalized Automatic Brightness

 

· Night Mode Blue Light Filter for Better Night Viewing

 

· Always On Display Mode

 

· Diamond Pixels

 

· Display Power Efficiency

 

· Viewing Angle Performance and Viewing Tests

 

· Display Related Enhancements

 

New Larger Full Screen Display with a New Aspect Ratio of 18.5 : 9

The Galaxy Note8 has a new larger 6.3 inch full screen display that fills almost the entire front face of the phone from edge-to-edge. Its display is 20% larger in screen area than the Galaxy S8 and 14% larger in screen area than previous Galaxy Note displays. The Home button and Navigations buttons are now incorporated within the touchscreen display.

 

The display also has a new form factor with a taller height to width Aspect Ratio of 18.5 : 9 = 2.05, which is 15% larger than the 16 : 9 = 1.78 on most Smartphones (and widescreen TVs) because the display now has the same overall shape as the entire phone. It is taller in Portrait mode and wider in Landscape mode. This provides extra space for Notifications and for displaying multiple Apps and content simultaneously on-screen side-by-side.

 

The main screen has rounded corners and is curved along both the left and right edges, which provides two additional user configurable Edge Screen areas that can be viewed from both the front or the sides, and even when the phone is placed face down. This is particularly helpful for status messages, notifications, memos, an Edge Clock, and a Night Clock in the Always On Display mode, which we cover below.

 

New 3K Higher Resolution Quad HD+ 2960x1440 Display with 521 pixels per inch

As a result of its larger display size and larger Aspect Ratio, the Galaxy Note8 has a new 3K Higher Resolution Quad HD+ display with 2960x1440 pixels and 521 pixels per inch, with 4.3 Mega Pixels, more than double the number on your HDTV. It can display more than four complete HD 1280x720 images at once. The display has Diamond Pixels (see below) and Sub-Pixel Rendering with 521 pixels per inch (ppi), providing significantly higher image sharpness than can be resolved with normal 20/20 Vision at the typical viewing distances of 10 inches or more for Smartphones, so the display appears perfectly sharp.

 

The Galaxy Note8 uses Sub-Pixel Rendering, which further improves image sharpness because the individual Red, Green and Blue Sub-Pixels are treated as independent addressable image elements and are not bound together into fixed Pixels, so the closest sub-pixel is used when rendering the image. In some cases Sub-Pixel Rendering can make the screen appear to have up to 3 times the resolution of traditional Pixel Rendering. As a result, for Smartphones it is absolutely pointless to further increase the display resolution and pixels per inch (ppi) up to 4K (3940x2160 pixels) for a silly marketing wild goose chase into the stratosphere, with no visual benefit for humans!

 

· Multiple Screen Modes and Color Management

One very important capability of the Galaxy Smartphones that is often overlooked by many consumers and reviewers, is the set of user selectable Screen Modes that are available under Display Settings, which we cover and measure each one in detail below. Most Smartphones and Tablets only provide a single fixed factory display Color Gamut and color calibration, with no way for the user to alter it based on content, personal preferences, running applications, or Ambient Light levels. A very important capability provided by the OLED Galaxy Smartphones is the implementation of Color Management that provides a number of user selectable Screen Modes, each with different Color Gamuts and levels of Color Saturation and display calibration based on user and application preferences. Color Management with multiple and varying Color Gamuts are a very useful and important state-of-the-art capability that all manufacturers will need to provide in the future.

 

· High Absolute Color Accuracy for Each of the Screen Modes

All of the recent Galaxy OLED Smartphones have supported multiple Color Gamut Standards, including DCI-P3, Adobe RGB, and sRGB / Rec.709. For each of the Screen Modes we carefully measure the Absolute Color Accuracy using an advanced series of spectroradiometer measurements with 41 Reference Colors that provide a detailed map of the Color Accuracy throughout the entire Color Gamut for each Screen Mode. Absolute Color Accuracy is measured in terms of Just Noticeable Color Differences, JNCD. See this Figure for an explanation and visual definition of JNCD and the detailed Color Accuracy Plots showing the measured Color Errors for the 41 Reference Colors for each Color Gamut.

 

In order to see the high Color Accuracy, the Display Setting for the Screen Mode needs to match the Color Gamut for the content that is being viewed. All of the reviewers that continue to rant about the poor Color Accuracy of the Galaxy OLED displays have failed to set the proper Screen Mode for their content, which is very accurate as shown in our extensive Lab Measurements and Viewing Tests.

 

For all of the calibrated Screen Modes, the Galaxy Note8 has uniformly Very Good to Excellent Absolute Color Accuracy, which are covered and measured individually below. See our detailed Absolute Color Accuracy Plots with 41 Reference Colors for the 3 calibrated Screen Modes and also this regarding Bogus Color Accuracy Measurements.

 

New Four Selectable Screen Modes and Color Gamuts

The Galaxy Note8 has four user selectable Screen Modes: Adaptive Display, AMOLED Cinema, AMOLED Photo, and the Basic Screen Mode, which matches the Standard sRGB / Rec.709 Color Gamut that is used for producing most current consumer content. See this Figure for the Color Gamuts of all the tested Screen Modes and the Colors and Intensities section for the measurements and details. Note that the Adaptive Display screen mode is the standard and factory default Screen Mode. Use Display Settings to switch between the other available Screen Modes. We discuss each of the four tested Screen Modes next…

 

 

 

 

Color Gamuts

Click to Enlarge

 

Color Accuracy

Click to Enlarge

 

New AMOLED Cinema Screen Mode with a Very Accurate Standard DCI-P3 Color Gamut

The Galaxy Note8 has the newest Standard Wide Color Gamut called DCI-P3 for Digital Cinema Initiative, which is being used for 4K Ultra HD TVs and in Digital Cinema for the movie industry. So the Galaxy Note8 can display the latest high-end 4K video content. The DCI-P3 Gamut is 26 percent larger than the Rec.709 Gamut used in 2K Full HD TVs, both are compared in this accurately colorized Figure. The larger DCI-P3 Color Gamut and wider range of more saturated colors are also useful in many advanced imaging applications, including HDR High Dynamic Range (below).

 

The measured Color Gamut of the AMOLED Cinema screen mode is a very accurate 104 percent of the Standard DCI-P3 Color Gamut, and the measured Absolute Color Accuracy is a very accurate 3.4 JNCD, which is very likely considerably better than your living room 4K Ultra HD TV. The Galaxy Note8 is one of the first displays to reach full 100% of the DCI-P3 as the result of using a new high saturation “Deep Red” OLED. See the Color Accuracy section and the detailed Color Accuracy Plots for the measurements and details. Select the AMOLED Cinema screen mode using Display Settings – it is not the default screen mode for the Galaxy Note8.

 

· AMOLED Photo Screen Mode with a Very Accurate Standard Adobe RGB Color Gamut

Most high-end digital cameras have an option to use the Adobe RGB Color Gamut, which is 17 percent larger than the Standard sRGB / Rec.709 Color Gamut used in consumer cameras. The AMOLED Photo screen mode on the Galaxy Note8 provides a very accurate Color and White Point calibration to the Adobe RGB standard, which is rarely available in consumers displays, and is very useful for high-end digital photography and other advanced imaging applications.

 

The measured Color Gamut of the AMOLED Photo screen mode is a very accurate 100 percent of the Standard Adobe RGB Color Gamut, and the measured Absolute Color Accuracy is a very accurate 3.3 JNCD. See the Color Accuracy section and the detailed Color Accuracy Plots for the measurements and details. Select the AMOLED Photo screen mode using Display Settings – it is not the default screen mode for the Galaxy Note8.

 

· Basic Screen Mode with a Very Accurate Standard sRGB / Rec.709 Color Gamut

The Basic screen mode provides a very accurate Color and White Point calibration for the Standard sRGB / Rec.709 Color Gamut that is used to produce most current consumer content for digital cameras, TVs, the internet, and computers, including photos, videos, and movies. The measured Color Gamut of the Basic screen mode is a very accurate 106 percent of the Standard sRGB / Rec.709 Color Gamut, and the measured Absolute Color Accuracy is a very accurate 3.1 JNCD, which is very likely considerably better than your living room HDTV and also your laptop and computer monitor.

 

Use the Basic screen mode for the best color and image accuracy for most current consumer content, which is especially important when viewing photos from family and friends (because you often know exactly what they actually should look like), for some TV shows, movies, and sporting events with image content and colors that you are familiar with, and also for viewing online merchandise, so you have a very good idea of exactly what colors you are buying and are less likely to return them. See the Color Accuracy section and the detailed Color Accuracy Plots for the measurements and details. Select the Basic screen mode using Display Settings – it is not the default screen mode for the Galaxy Note8.

 

· Adaptive Display Screen Mode with the Largest Color Gamut

The Adaptive Display screen mode provides real-time Adaptive processing that can dynamically adjust images and videos. For some applications it will vary the White Point, Color Gamut, and Color Saturation based on the image content and the color of the surrounding ambient lighting measured by the Ambient Light Sensor (which measures color in addition to brightness).

 

The Adaptive Display screen mode also provides significantly higher Color Saturation, with a large 141 percent of the Standard sRGB / Rec.709 Color Gamut and 112 percent of the Standard DCI-P3 Color Gamut, the highest that we have ever measured for Smartphones and Tablets (tied with the Galaxy S8), and the result of a new high saturation “Deep Red” OLED in the Galaxy Note8. Some people like the more saturated and Vivid Colors, plus it is useful for special applications, and especially when using the Galaxy Note8 in medium to high levels of Ambient Light, because it offsets some of the reflected light glare that washes out the on-screen image colors. We examine the change in the Color Gamut with Ambient Light below. See the Color Accuracy section for the measurements and details. Select the Adaptive Display screen mode using Display Settings – it is the factory default screen mode for the Galaxy Note8.

 

New Adaptive Display Screen Mode with a User Adjustable White Point

The default White Point for the Adaptive Display screen mode has an intentionally bluish 7,582 K Color Temperature. A new feature on the Galaxy Note8 is a user adjustable White Point with Color Balance slider controls that allow users to change color of White for the Adaptive Display screen mode. The slider controls allow the White Point Color Temperature to range from 6,800 K, which is close to the Standard D65 White, up to 8,800 K, which has a strong bluish tint that some people like. So with the Galaxy Note8 you can set the Color of White that you prefer.

 

· Adaptive Display Screen Mode Offsets the Loss of Color Saturation and Color Gamut in Ambient Light

The Adaptive Display screen mode is particularly useful in moderate to high levels of Ambient Light because its larger Native Color Gamut offsets some of the loss of Color Saturation and Color Gamut that occurs when using the other calibrated Standard Screen Modes. This Figure shows the measured decrease in two Color Gamuts with increasing Ambient Light, from 0 lux, which is perfectly dark, up through 2,000 lux, which corresponds to typical outdoor daylight in shade.

 

At 500 lux, which corresponds to typical office lighting, the measured on-screen Color Gamut for the Basic screen mode falls to 91%. At 1,000 lux, which corresponds to very bright indoor lighting or outdoor daylight with an overcast sky, the measured on-screen Color Gamut falls to 78%, and at 2,000 lux the measured on-screen Color Gamut falls to 61%. This loss of color saturation and wash out in Ambient Light is well known to all display users.

 

The way to improve the display color accuracy and performance in Ambient Light is to start with a larger Color Gamut, like the Adaptive Display screen mode, which is shown on the right in this Figure compared to the Basic screen mode on the left. At 1,000 lux the Adaptive Display screen mode provides a much better match to the sRGB / Rec.709 Color Gamut than the Basic screen mode. The Adaptive Display screen mode also provides a good match to the DCI-P3 Color Gamut at 500 lux. So the Adaptive Display screen mode provides more accurate on-screen colors in moderate to high Ambient Lighting than the other calibrated Screen Modes, which are designed and calibrated for Low Ambient Light. Applying Dynamic Color Management based on the current Ambient Light lux level in the future will able to further improve color accuracy over a wide range of Ambient Light levels, which we discuss further in the Conclusion.

 

· Screen Brightness and Performance in High Ambient Lighting

Mobile displays are often used under relatively bright ambient lighting, which washes out the image color saturation and contrast, reducing picture quality and making it harder to view or read the screen. To be usable in high ambient light a display needs a dual combination of high Screen Brightness and low Screen Reflectance – the Galaxy Note8 has both. This is extremely important for screen readability, picture quality, and color accuracy in ambient light.

 

The Galaxy Note8 is up to 22 percent Brighter than the Galaxy S8. For most image content the Galaxy Note8 provides over 490 cd/m2 (Luminance, which is a measure of Brightness sometimes called nits), comparable or higher than most LCD displays in this size class. The measured Brightness on the Home screen is even higher at over 540 nits. When the display Brightness is set Manually with the slider, it can be adjusted to reach a maximum screen Brightness of up to 728 nits, which is impressive. See the Screen Brightness section for the measurements and details.

 

The measured Galaxy Note8 Screen Reflectance is 4.6 percent, close to the lowest that we have ever measured for a Smartphone. Our Contrast Rating for High Ambient Light quantitatively measures screen visibility and image contrast under bright Ambient Lighting – the higher the better. As a result of its high Brightness and low Reflectance, the Galaxy Note8 has a Contrast Rating for High Ambient Light that ranges from 88 to 158, the highest that we have ever measured for a Smartphone. See the Screen Reflectance section for the measurements and details.

 

· Even Higher Automatic Peak Brightness

On the Galaxy Note8 the Maximum Screen Brightness can go much higher when Automatic Brightness is turned On, so that users can’t permanently park the Manual Brightness slider to very high values, which would run down the battery quickly. High Screen Brightness is only needed for High Ambient Light, so turning Automatic Brightness On will provide better high ambient light screen visibility and also longer battery running time.

 

When Automatic Brightness is turned On, the Galaxy Note8 produces up to a very impressive 1,240 cd/m2 (nits) in High Ambient Light, where high Brightness is really needed – which is the brightest Smartphone display that we have ever measured, and 22% Brighter than the Galaxy S8. As a result of its very high Automatic Brightness and low Reflectance, the Galaxy Note8 has a Contrast Rating for High Ambient Light that ranges from 122 to 270, also the highest that we have ever measured for a Smartphone display. See the Brightness and Contrast, the High Ambient Light and the Screen Reflections sections for the measurements and details. The much higher Peak Brightness of over 1,200 nits is also used to provide High Dynamic Range HDR, which we discuss next...

 

New HDR High Dynamic Range Mobile HDR Premium Display

The Galaxy Note8 is certified by the UHD Alliance for Mobile HDR Premium, which allows the Galaxy Note8 to play the same 4K High Dynamic Range content for 4K UHD Premium TVs. High Dynamic Range (HDR) is the newest performance enhancement feature developed for the latest 4K Ultra HD TVs. HDR provides expanded the Color, Contrast, and Brightness of video content. In order to provide HDR, the Galaxy Note8 has the required Digital Cinema DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut, plus perfect Blacks and an Infinite Contrast Ratio from its OLED display, and a peak Brightness of over 1,000 nits that is needed for High Dynamic Range. The Galaxy Note8 can play the latest streamed mobile HDR videos, and its built-in video processor also allows it to provide an Expanded Dynamic Range for standard video content that produces an HDR-like effect.

 

New Front and Back Dual Ambient Light Sensors for Improved Automatic Brightness Settings

Other Smartphones and Tablets have just a single Ambient Light Sensor on the front of the screen that measures the amount of light falling on the front of the screen. When Automatic Brightness is turned On, the display Brightness is adjusted based on this single measured value. But that is only part of the story because the phone is often in the shadow of your head, so the front ambient light level is often reduced there. However, your eyes are generally more adapted to the surrounding ambient light level that is behind and around the phone, which needs to be taken into account in setting the proper screen Brightness, particularly with the most common back lighting situations that exist when holding the phone.

 

I proposed dual Ambient Light Sensors back in 2010, with an article that described “How Automatic Brightness Should Work.” The Galaxy Note8 is the first Smartphone (together with the Galaxy S8) to have a second Ambient Light Sensor on the back that also measures the surrounding ambient light behind the phone and then uses both measured values to adjust the display Brightness based on the front and back lighting. The Galaxy Note8 Automatic Brightness Control has also been enhanced to provide improved response and transition times with changing ambient light levels to give your eyes the proper amount of time to adjust to the new levels.

 

· Interactive Personalized Automatic Brightness Control that Works Well

The Galaxy Note8 has a Interactive Personalized Automatic Brightness Control that learns and stores the display brightness settings that you make for varying ambient light levels, so from then on you get your own customized personal visual brightness preferences instead of some pre-programmed manufacturer settings found in other Smartphones, Tablets, and TVs. I proposed this back in 2010, with an article that described “How Automatic Brightness Should Work.” The Galaxy Note8 and Galaxy S8 are the first Smartphones, Tablets, or TVs to do Automatic Brightness correctly.

 

When Automatic Brightness is turned On (under Display Settings), if you adjust the Brightness Slider, the Galaxy Note8 will remember your setting along with the current Ambient Light level that is measured by its Ambient Light Sensors (ALS). From then on the Galaxy Note8 will automatically adjust the screen Brightness by measuring the current ambient light level and then adjusting the display Brightness based on the settings that you have previously made, so you’ll get a customized screen Brightness setting that you’ve previously trained it to produce for the current level of ambient light – and you can continue to tweak and adjust it as needed. Other smartphones operate using the antiquated opposite approach based on factory defaults that works backwards and poorly, which often results in users disabling Automatic Brightness.

 

New Night Mode Blue Light Filter for Better Night Viewing

The Night Mode Blue Light Filter on the Galaxy Note8 is designed to change the color balance of the display in order to reduce the amount of Blue light produced by the display, which some recent research indicates can affect how well users sleep afterwards. In a separate article we explain and analyze the Blue Light issue for displays. The Galaxy Note8 includes a user adjustable slider (called Filter Opacity) to vary the amount of Blue light produced by the display and a timer that allows the Blue Light Filter to be turned on and off automatically every day. The measured variation in the display light spectrum with the adjustable Blue Light Filter is shown in this Figure and below.

 

As the Blue Light Filter Opacity setting is increased, the amount of Blue light emitted by the display decreases. When that happens, White and all screen colors take on an increasing yellowish tint and color cast. At the Middle setting the measured White Color Temperature decreases to 4,500K, and at the Maximum setting it decreases to 2,500K, the Color Temperature of traditional incandescent lighting, which is yellowish. With the Blue Light Filter turned On and the Opacity at its Maximum setting, the measured Blue Light component from the Galaxy Note8 is reduced by 80 percent. Turning down the screen Brightness will further decrease the amount of Blue Light. The measured display spectra for several of the Blue Light Filter settings are included in this Figure and below.

 

 

 

Display Spectra

Click to Enlarge

 

· Super Dimming Mode

The Galaxy Note8 also has a Super Dimming Mode that allows the Maximum Screen Brightness to be set all the way down to just 2 cd/m2 (nits) using the Brightness Slider. This is perfect for night use on a beside table, and useful for working comfortably without eye strain or bothering others in very dark environments, or affecting the eye’s dark adaptation, such as when using a telescope. The display still provides full 24-bit color and the picture quality remains excellent.

 

· Always On Display Mode

The Galaxy Note8 has an Always On Display mode that takes advantage of the very low power capability of an OLED display when most of the image pixels are black, because every sub-pixel is independently powered, and therefore doesn’t use any power when black. The AOD mode is super power efficient and typically requires only 3 to 5 percent of the maximum display power. So when the phone is off (in standby) it is possible to always display some text and graphics on a black background all day and all night without a significant power drain that would reduce the battery running time. The Always On Display mode uses only 50 to 100 mW (milli-Watts) in normal daytime ambient light, and much less in the dark mode at night. For moving AOD content, such as in an Analog Clock with a second hand, the display is updated via Integrated Circuit hardware rather than App software, resulting in lower power consumption. A new feature on the Galaxy Note8 allows you to a add personal photo to the Always On Display.

 

The Always On Display produces an illuminated main screen image 24 hours a day so you can always discreetly check it with just a glance. It shows various personalized clock and calendar screens, plus status messages, memos, notifications, and images on the main screen when the phone is off (in standby). It measures the ambient light level and has both day and night modes, and it will stay off when the phone display is face down, or if it senses a dark confined space like a pocket or handbag. The day mode has a measured Luminance of 50 cd/m2 (nits) on a black background, which is very readable but not distracting for normal indoor ambient lighting, and is visible outdoors if you shade the screen with your hand. The night mode is entered for very low Ambient Light lux levels and runs like the Super Dimming Mode down to as low as 1 nit, so it makes a great Night Clock that won’t disturb you if it’s on your bedside table.

 

· Diamond Pixels

A high resolution screen shot (provided by Samsung) shows an interesting design and sub-pixel arrangement for the Galaxy Note8, which Samsung calls Diamond Pixels. First of all, the Red, Green, and Blue sub-pixels have very different sizes – Blue is by far the largest because it has the lowest light emission efficiency, and Green is by far the smallest because it has the highest efficiency. The alternating Red and Blue sub-pixel arrangement leads to a 45 degree diagonal symmetry in the sub-pixel layout. This allows vertical, horizontal, and particularly diagonal line segments and vectors to be drawn with reduced aliasing and artifacts. In order to maximize the sub-pixel packing and achieve the highest possible pixels per inch (ppi), that leads to diamond rather than square or stripe shaped Red and Blue sub-pixels. But not for the Green sub-pixels, which are oval shaped because they are squeezed between two much larger and different sized Red and Blue sub-pixels. It’s a form of high-tech display art…

 

· Display Power Efficiency

Since 2013 the Display Power Efficiency of the Galaxy series of Smartphones has improved by a very impressive 60%. This year the new OLED materials on the Galaxy Note8 have improved optical and power efficiency with its larger Native Color Gamut.

 

While LCDs remain more power efficient for images with mostly full screen white content (like all text screens on a white background, for example), OLEDs are more power efficient for typical mixed image content because they are emissive displays so their power varies with the Average Picture Level (average Brightness) of the image content over the entire screen. For OLEDs, Black pixels and sub-pixels don’t use any power so screens with Black or dark backgrounds are very power efficient for OLEDs. For LCDs the display power is fixed and independent of image content. Currently, OLED displays are more power efficient than LCDs for Average Pictures Levels of 65 percent or less, and LCDs are more power efficient for Average Picture Levels above 65 percent. Since both technologies are continuing to improve their power efficiencies, the crossover will continue to change with time.

 

The Galaxy Note8 also has 4 user adjustable Performance Modes and 3 adjustable Power Saving Modes that reduce the Display Power by lowering the screen Brightness and setting the background to Black, which can significantly reduce display power and more than double the running time on battery. All of our tests and measurements were performed in the High Performance Mode with the Power Saving Mode Off. See the Display Power section for the measurements and details.

 

· Viewing Angle Performance

While Smartphones are primarily single viewer devices, the variation in display performance with viewing angle is still very important because single viewers frequently hold the display at a variety of viewing angles. The angle is often up to 30 degrees, more if it is resting on a table or desk. While LCDs typically experience a 55 percent or greater decrease in Brightness at a 30 degree Viewing Angle, the OLED Galaxy Note8 display shows a much smaller 29 percent decrease in Brightness at 30 degrees. This also applies to multiple side-by-side viewers as well, and is a significant advantage of OLED displays. The Color Shifts with Viewing Angle are also relatively small and similar to the Galaxy S8. See the Viewing Angles section for the measurements and details.

 

· Viewing Tests

The three calibrated Standard Screen Modes on the Galaxy Note8 provide very nice, pleasing and very accurate colors and picture quality. Although the Image Contrast is slightly too high (due to a slightly too steep Intensity Scale), the very challenging set of DisplayMate Test and Calibration Photos that we use to evaluate picture quality looked absolutely stunning and Beautiful, even to my experienced hyper-critical eyes.

 

In order to see the high Color Accuracy, the Display Setting for the Screen Mode needs to match the Color Gamut for the content that is being viewed. All of the reviewers that continue to rant about the poor Color Accuracy of the Galaxy OLED displays have failed to set the proper Screen Mode for their content, which is very accurate as shown in our extensive Lab Measurements.

 

For indoor and low ambient light viewing use the Basic screen mode for most standard consumer content including digital camera, TV, internet, and computer content, including photos, videos, and movies, and also for your online purchases in order to see accurate product colors. Use the AMOLED Cinema screen mode for viewing the newest DCI 4K Ultra HD TV and Digital Cinema content and videos, including HDR Premium content, and the AMOLED Photo screen mode to view high-end digital camera photos that are based on the Adobe RGB Gamut. The Adaptive Display screen mode provides significantly more Vivid and Saturated Colors. Some people like that.

 

The Adaptive Display screen mode is also recommended for viewing in medium to high levels of ambient light because it offsets some of the reflected light glare that washes out the image colors, which is demonstrated in this Figure for ambient light levels up through 2,000 lux.

 

· Display Related Enhancements

 

· The Galaxy Note8 is IP68 water resistant in up to 5 feet of water for up to half an hour, which means you can comfortably view the display in typical wet indoor and outdoor conditions – even carefully use it in a tub or shower, and it should be fine if you accidentally drop it in a sink or toilet.

 

· The Galaxy Note8 can be used with Polarized Sunglasses in both the Portrait and Landscape orientations unlike LCDs, which generally work in only one of the two orientations.

 

· The Galaxy Note8 has the new Gorilla Glass 5, which provides much higher resistance to breakage.

 

· The Galaxy Note8 accepts a microSD card, which makes it easier to add large photo and video files.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Color Gamuts

Click to Enlarge

 

Color Accuracy

Click to Enlarge

 

Intensity Scales

Click to Enlarge

 

Display Spectra

Click to Enlarge

 

 

Galaxy Note8 Conclusions:   A Very Impressive Smartphone Display…

The primary goal of this Display Technology Shoot-Out article series has always been to publicize and promote display excellence so that consumers, journalists and even manufacturers are aware of and appreciate the very best in displays and display technology. We point out which manufactures and display technologies are leading and advancing the state-of-the-art for displays by performing comprehensive and objective scientific Lab tests and measurements together with in-depth analysis. We point out who is leading, who is behind, who is improving, and sometimes (unfortunately) who is back pedaling… all based solely on the extensive objective careful Lab measurements that we also publish, so that everyone can judge the data for themselves as well…

 

OLED Display Evolution

What is particularly significant and impressive is that Samsung has been systematically improving OLED display performance with every Galaxy generation since 2010, when we started tracking OLED displays. The first notable OLED Smartphone, the Google Nexus One, came in decidedly last place in our 2010 Smartphone Display Shoot-Out. As a result of the improvements with each new generation, in a span of just seven years mobile OLED display technology now has a commanding first place lead and continues pushing ahead aggressively. The Galaxy Note8 continues the impressive improvements in mobile OLED displays and technology. As a result, OLEDs have developed into excellent Smartphone displays that now outperform the best LCD Smartphones.

 

The Best Smartphone Display

The Galaxy Note8 is the latest in a new generation of OLED Smartphones that have a Full Screen Display design like the Galaxy S8. It has many major and important state-of-the-art display performance enhancements, features and functions, with mobile OLED display technology now advancing faster than ever. The Galaxy Note8 is the most innovative and high performance Smartphone display that we have ever lab tested. So the Galaxy Note8 becomes the Best Performing Smartphone Display, earning DisplayMate’s highest ever A+ grade.

 

See the Display Shoot-Out Comparison Table section below for the complete DisplayMate Lab measurements and test details.

See the Highlights and Performance Results section above for a detailed overview with expanded discussions and explanations.

See the Display Assessments section for the evaluation details.

 

The Galaxy Note8 has the following enhanced state-of-the-art display performance functions and features:

 

· A radical new Full Display Screen design that fills almost the entire front face of the phone providing a significantly larger display for the same phone size.

 

· A curved screen OLED display that is manufactured on a flexible plastic substrate so that it can bend around corners on both sides of the phone to provide two curved Edge Display areas that can be viewed and controlled from both the front or the sides.

 

· A new larger 6.3 inch Full Screen Display that fills almost the entire front face of the Galaxy Note8 from edge-to-edge. Its display is 20% larger in screen area than the Galaxy S8 and 14% larger than previous Galaxy Note displays, without increasing the size of the phone, which is accomplished by shrinking the borders around the display. The Home button and Navigations buttons are now incorporated within the touchscreen display.

 

· A new display form factor with a taller height to width Aspect Ratio of 18.5 : 9 = 2.05, which is 15% larger than the 16 : 9 = 1.78 on most Smartphones (and widescreen TVs) because the display now has the same overall shape as the entire phone. It is taller in Portrait mode and wider in Landscape mode. This provides extra space for Notifications and for displaying multiple Apps and content simultaneously on-screen side-by-side.

 

· 4 Color Gamuts and 3 Calibrated Screen Modes with High Absolute Color Accuracy based on our extensive Lab Measurements.

 

· A new larger full 100% DCI-P3 Color Gamut and Digital Cinema mode that is also used for 4K Ultra HD TVs, so the Galaxy Note8 can display the latest high-end 4K video content. The DCI-P3 Gamut is 26 percent larger than the Rec.709 Gamut that is used in 2K Full HD TVs.

 

· The Galaxy Note8 is certified by the UHD Alliance for Mobile HDR Premium, which allows the Galaxy Note8 to play the same 4K High Dynamic Range content produced for 4K UHD Premium TVs.

 

· A larger Native Color Gamut with a new high saturation “Deep Red” OLED, resulting in a very impressive 112% of DCI-P3 and 141% of sRGB / Rec.709 Gamuts that also provides much better on-screen Colors in High Ambient Light.

 

· A 3K Higher Resolution 2960 x 1440 Quad HD+ display with 521 pixels per inch, and Diamond Pixels with Sub-Pixel Rendering.

 

· A Video Enhancer that provides HDR-like Expanded Dynamic Range for all videos that don’t have HDR coding.

 

· A record high Peak Display Brightness of over 1,200 nits, which improves screen visibility in very high Ambient Light, and provides the high screen Brightness needed for HDR.

 

· Front and back Dual Ambient Light Sensors for significantly improved Automatic Brightness settings.

 

· A Night Mode with a Blue Light Filter that allows the user to adjust and reduce the amount of blue light from the display for better night viewing and improved sleep.

 

· A user Adjustable White Point with Color Balance slider controls that can change the color of White for the Adaptive Display screen mode.

 

· An Always On Display mode and Personalized Auto Brightness Control.

 

· Small Color Shifts and Brightness Shifts with Viewing Angle.

 

· The Galaxy Note8 can be used with Polarized Sunglasses in both the Portrait and Landscape orientations unlike LCDs, which generally work in only one of the two orientations.

 

· A new and even stronger curved Gorilla Glass 5 protecting the display.

 

The Galaxy Note8 matches or sets new Smartphone display performance records for:

 

· Largest Native Color Gamut  (112% DCI-P3 and 141% sRGB / Rec.709).

 

· Highest Peak Display Brightness  (1,240 nits).

 

· Highest Contrast Rating in Ambient Light  (270).

 

· Highest Screen Resolution 3K (2960x1440).

 

· Highest Contrast Ratio  (Infinite).

 

· Lowest Screen Reflectance  (4.6 percent).

 

· Smallest Brightness Variation with Viewing Angle  (29 percent).

 

 

The Best Smartphone Display

The Galaxy Note8 delivers uniformly consistent all around Top Tier display performance and receives All Green (Very Good to Excellent) Ratings in all of the DisplayMate Lab test and measurement Categories (except for a single Yellow in Brightness Variation with Average Picture Level that applies to all OLED displays). See the Display Shoot-Out Comparison Table below for all of the measurements and details, and the Highlights and Performance Results section above for expanded discussions and explanations, and the Display Assessments section for the evaluation details.

 

Based on our extensive lab tests and measurments the Galaxy Note8 becomes the Best Performing Smartphone Display, earning DisplayMate’s highest ever A+ grade.

 

 

The Future of OLED Smartphones

The Galaxy Note8 is the latest in a new generation of OLED Smartphones. OLEDs have now evolved and emerged as the premium mobile Smartphone display technology. More than two dozen manufacturers already make OLED Smartphones, and the new Full Screen Display design using a flexible OLED will be the new Flagship for all the upcoming future Top Tier Smartphones.

 

LCDs are a great cutting edge high performance display technology for Tablets to TVs, but for small handheld Smartphones, OLED displays provide a number of significant advantages over LCDs including: being much thinner, much lighter, without needing a bezel providing a rimless edge-to-edge design. They can be made flexible and into curved screens, plus they have a very fast response time, better viewing angles, and an always-on display mode. Many of the OLED performance advantages result from the fact that every single sub-pixel in an OLED display is independently directly electrically powered to emit light, so only the active image sub-pixels draw power based on their individual brightness levels. OLEDs can also provide better color accuracy, image contrast accuracy, and screen uniformity because of variations in the Backlights of LCDs.

 

As the result of their very versatile power management capabilities, OLEDs are not only more power efficient than LCDs for most image content, but they now deliver much higher peak Brightness than LCDs because the maximum power can be delivered to just the sub-pixels that are needed for producing the current image. However, for mostly all white screen content LCDs are likely to remain brighter and more power efficient for a while.

 

OLED displays are also manufactured on flexible substrates that can bend, which allows the screens to be curved and rounded and provides a number of innovative new screen geometries. The most popular one is expanding the front main screen so that it extends around to both the right and left sides of the phone by bending around the corners like on the Galaxy Note8, and on earlier Galaxy Edge and Galaxy Round models.

 

The main production and availability issue for the next several years will be that the demand for OLED displays will significantly exceed the manufacturing capacity as we discuss in Flagship 2017 OLED Smartphones.

 

Improving the Next Generation of Mobile Displays

The Galaxy Note8 has a very high resolution 3K 2960x1440 pixel display with 521 pixels per inch (ppi) producing images that look perfectly sharp with normal 20/20 Vision under all normal viewing conditions, which always includes some ambient light that always lowers the visible image contrast and perceived image sharpness (Modulation Transfer MTF). Note that displays are almost never viewed in absolute darkness under perfect viewing conditions with ideal image content. Some clueless reviewers have been pining for 4K 3840x2160 Smartphones, which would require almost double the pixels, memory, and processing power of the 2960x1440 display on the Galaxy Note8, but there would be no visual benefit for humans! As a result, it is absolutely pointless to further increase the display resolution and pixels per inch (ppi) for a marketing wild goose chase into the stratosphere, with no visual benefit for humans!

 

With screen size and resolution already functionally maxed out, manufacturers should instead dedicate their efforts and resources into improving real world display performance in ambient light by using advanced technology to restore and compensate for the loss of color gamut, color saturation, and image contrast due to ambient light, something that every consumer will benefit from, and will also immediately notice and appreciate – providing a true sales and marketing advantage…

 

The most important improvements for OLED and LCD mobile displays will come from improving their image and picture quality and screen readability in real world ambient light, which washes out the screen images, resulting in reduced image contrast, color saturation, and color accuracy. The key will be in lowering the Screen Reflectance and implementing Dynamic Color Management with automatic real-time modification of the display’s native Color Gamut and Dynamic Intensity Scales based on the measured Ambient Light level in order to have them compensate for the reflected light glare and image wash out that causes a loss of color saturation and image contrast from ambient light as discussed in our Innovative Displays and Display Technology and SID Display Technology Shoot-Out articles.

 

The displays, technologies, and manufacturers that succeed in implementing this new real world high ambient light performance strategy will take the lead in the next generations of mobile displays… Follow DisplayMate on Twitter to learn about these developments and our upcoming display technology coverage.

 

 

DisplayMate Display Optimization Technology

All Smartphone, Tablet, Monitor and TV displays can be significantly improved using DisplayMate’s proprietary very advanced scientific analysis and mathematical display modeling and optimization of the display hardware, factory calibration, and driver parameters. We help manufacturers with expert display procurement, prototype development, display performance improvement and optimization, testing displays to meet contract specifications, and production quality control so that they don’t make mistakes similar to those that are exposed in our public Display Technology Shoot-Out series for consumers. This article is a lite version of our advanced scientific analysis – before the benefits of our DisplayMate Display Optimization Technology, which can correct or improve all of these issues. If you are a display or product manufacturer and want to significantly improve display performance for a competitive advantage then Contact DisplayMate Technologies.

 

Galaxy Note8

 

Display Shoot-Out Comparison Table

Below we examine in-depth the OLED display on the Samsung Galaxy Note8 based on objective Lab measurement data and criteria

in the following sections:  Display SpecificationsOverall AssessmentsScreen ReflectionsBrightness and Contrast,

Colors and IntensitiesViewing AnglesOLED SpectraDisplay Power.

 

For additional background and comparison information see this earlier article covering the Galaxy S8 Display Technology Shoot-Out.

 

Detailed Test and Measurement Comparisons between the Galaxy Note8 and Galaxy S8

You can directly compare the data and measurement results for the Galaxy Note8 with the Galaxy S8 display in detail

by using a Tabbed web browser with our comprehensive Lab measurements and analysis for each of the displays.

For each Tab click on a Link below. The entries are mostly identical with only minor formatting differences,

so it is easy to make detailed side-by-side comparisons by simply clicking through the Tabs.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 Lab Measurements Comparison Table

Samsung Galaxy S8 Lab Measurements Comparison Table

 

For comparisons with the other leading Smartphone, Tablet, and Smart Watch displays see our Mobile Display Technology Shoot-Out series.

 

Categories

 Samsung Galaxy Note8

Comments

Display Technology

6.3 inch Diagonal

OLED with Diamond Pixels

Organic Light Emitting Diode

Diamond Pixels with Diagonal Sub-Pixel Symmetry

Screen Shape

18.5 : 9 = 2.05

New Higher Aspect Ratio

Most Smartphones and Widescreen TVs have 16 : 9 = 1.78

Height to Width Aspect Ratio

Galaxy Note8 display screen is 15% longer than

most Smartphones and widescreen 16:9 TV content.

Screen Size

2.76 x 5.68 inches

Display Width and Height in inches.

Screen Area

15.7 Square Inches

A better measure of size than the diagonal length.

Supported Color Gamuts

Adaptive Display  –  Wide Native Color Gamut

Cinema mode  –  DCI-P3 Standard Color Gamut

Photo mode  –  Adobe RGB Standard Color Gamut

Basic mode  –  sRGB / Rec.709 Standard Color Gamut

The Galaxy Note8 supports 4 Color Gamuts including

the new wider DCI-P3 Color Gamut that is used

in the 4K TV content.

 

Display Resolution

2960 x 1440 pixels

New 3K  Quad HD+

Screen Pixel Resolution.

Quad HD can display four 1280x720 HD images.

Total Number of Pixels

4.3 Mega Pixels

Total Number of Pixels.

Pixels Per Inch

521 PPI with Diamond Pixels

Excellent

Sharpness depends on the viewing distance and PPI.

See this on the visual acuity for a true Retina Display

Sub-Pixels Per Inch

    Red  368 SPPI

 Green  521 SPPI

   Blue  368 SPPI

Diamond Pixel displays have only half the number of

Red and Blue Sub-Pixels as RGB Stripe displays.

 

Total Number of Sub-Pixels

   Red  2.1 Million Sub-Pixels

Green  4.3 Million Sub-Pixels

  Blue  2.1 Million Sub-Pixels

Number of Mega Sub-Pixels for Red, Green, Blue.

Diamond Pixel displays have only half the number of

Red and Blue Sub-Pixels as RGB Stripe displays.

At High PPI this is generally not visible due to the

use of Sub-Pixel Rendering.

20/20 Vision Distance

where Pixels or Sub-Pixels

are Not Resolved

      6.6 inches for White and Green Sub-Pixels with 20/20 Vision

 9.3 inches for Red and Blue Sub-Pixels with 20/20 Vision

For 20/20 Vision the minimum Viewing Distance

where the screen appears perfectly sharp to the eye.

At 10 inches from the screen 20/20 Vision is 344 PPI.

Display Sharpness

at Typical Viewing Distances

 Galaxy Note8 Display appears Perfectly Sharp

Pixels are not Resolved with 20/20 Vision

at Typical Viewing Distances of

10 to 18 inches

The Typical Viewing Distances for this screen size

are in the range of 10 to 18 inches.

 

Also note that eye’s resolution is much lower for

Red and Blue color content than White and Green.

Appears Perfectly Sharp

at Typical Viewing Distances

 Yes

Typical Viewing Distances are 10 to 18 inches

for this screen size.

Photo Viewer Color Depth

 Full 24-bit Color

No Dithering Visible

256 Intensity Levels

Some Smartphones and Tablets still have some

form of 16-bit color depth in the Gallery Viewer.

The Samsung Galaxy Note8 does not have this issue.

 

Overall Assessments

This section summarizes the results for all of the extensive Lab Measurements and Viewing Tests performed on the display.

See  Screen ReflectionsBrightness and ContrastColors and IntensitiesViewing AnglesOLED SpectraDisplay Power.

 

The Galaxy Note8 has four user selectable Screen Modes that are calibrated for different content, applications and user preferences.

Here we provide results for the Adaptive Display screen mode, which is a dynamic Wide Color Gamut mode, the AMOLED Cinema mode,

which is calibrated for the new DCI-P3 Gamut that is also used in Ultra HD TVs, the AMOLED Photo mode, which is calibrated for

the Adobe RGB Gamut used in high-end digital photography and other advanced imaging applications, and the Basic screen mode,

which is calibrated for the sRGB / Rec.709 Standard that is used for most current consumer photo, video, web, and computer content.

 

The Basic and Photo modes are listed on the same column because their measurements are all essentially identical except for

the Color Gamut measurements, which are listed separately below.

 

 

Categories

 

Adaptive Display

Widest Color Gamut

 

Cinema mode

DCI-P3 Gamut

for Digital Cinema

Basic mode

sRGB/Rec.709 Gamut

 

Photo mode

Adobe RGB Gamut

 

Comments

Viewing Tests

in Subdued Ambient Lighting

 

 

 

 

Very Good Images

Photos and Videos

have Vivid Color

and Accurate Contrast

 

Wide Color Gamut Mode

Intentionally Vivid Colors

Very Good Images

Photos and Videos

have Excellent Color

and Accurate Contrast

 

Accurate Cinema mode

 

Very Good Images

Photos and Videos

have Excellent Color

and Accurate Contrast

 

Accurate Basic mode

Accurate Photo mode

The Viewing Tests examine the accuracy of

photographic images by comparing the displays

to an calibrated studio monitor and TV.

 

 

 

 

Variation with Viewing Angle

Colors and Brightness

 

See Viewing Angles

Small Color Shifts

with Viewing Angle

 

Small Brightness Shifts

with Viewing Angle

Small Color Shifts

with Viewing Angle

 

Small Brightness Shifts

with Viewing Angle

Small Color Shifts

with Viewing Angle

 

Small Brightness Shifts

with Viewing Angle

The Galaxy Note8 display has a relatively small

decrease in Brightness with Viewing Angle and

relatively small Color Shifts with Viewing Angle.

 

See the Viewing Angles section for details.

Overall Display Assessment

Lab Tests and Measurements

Excellent OLED Display

Wide Color Gamut Mode

Excellent OLED Display

Accurate Cinema mode

Excellent OLED Display

Accurate Basic mode

Accurate Photo mode

The Galaxy Note8 OLED Display performed

very well in the Lab Tests and Measurements.

 

Absolute Color Accuracy

Measured over Entire Gamut

 

See Figure 2 and Colors

 Good Color Accuracy

Colors More Saturated

Intentionally Vivid Colors

Very Good Color Accuracy

Color Errors are Small

Accurate Cinema mode

Very Good Color Accuracy

Color Errors are Small

Accurate Basic mode

Accurate Photo mode

Absolute Color Accuracy is measured with a

Spectroradiometer for 41 Reference Colors

uniformly distributed within the entire Color Gamut.

 

See Figure 2 and Colors for details.

Image Contrast Accuracy

 

See Figure 3 and Contrast

Very Good Accuracy

Image Contrast

Slightly Too High

Very Good Accuracy

Image Contrast

Slightly Too High

Very Good Accuracy

Image Contrast

Slightly Too High

The Image Contrast Accuracy is determined by

measuring the Log Intensity Scale and Gamma.

 

See Figure 3 and Contrast for details.

Performance in Ambient Light

Display Brightness

Screen Reflectance

Contrast Rating

 

See Brightness and Contrast

See Screen Reflections

High Display Brightness

Very Low Reflectance

 

High Contrast Rating

for Ambient Light

 

Higher Brightness with

Auto Brightness On

High Display Brightness

Very Low Reflectance

 

High Contrast Rating

for Ambient Light

 

Higher Brightness with

Auto Brightness On

High Display Brightness

Very Low Reflectance

 

High Contrast Rating

for Ambient Light

 

Higher Brightness with

Auto Brightness On

Smartphones are seldom used in the dark.

 

Screen Brightness and Reflectance determine

the Contrast Rating for High Ambient Light.

 

See the Brightness and Contrast section for details.

See the Screen Reflections section for details.

 

Overall Display Calibration

Image and Picture Quality

Lab Tests and Viewing Tests

Intentionally Vivid Colors

Wide Color Gamut Mode

Excellent Calibration

Accurate Cinema mode

Excellent Calibration

Accurate Basic mode

Accurate Photo mode

Galaxy Note8 display has multiple Screen Modes

that delivers accurately calibrated colors and images

and a Wide Color Gamut Mode that is preferred by

some users and for some applications.

 

Overall Display Grade

Overall Assessment

Overall Galaxy Note8 Display Grade is Excellent A+

The Best Performing Smartphone Display that we have ever tested.

Samsung continues their systemic enhancements of OLED Displays

The Galaxy Note8 display delivers excellent

image quality, has both Color Accurate and

Wide Color Gamut Vivid Color modes, has

high Screen Brightness and low Reflectance,

has good Viewing Angles, and is an all around

top performing Smartphone display.

 Wide Color Gamut Mode

Also Best for Viewing in

High Ambient Light

Accurate Cinema mode

For Viewing 4K UHD TV

DCI-P3 Cinema Content

Accurate Basic mode

Accurate Photo mode

For Viewing Most Content

Photo Video Movie Web

Categories

 

Adaptive Display

Widest Color Gamut

 

Cinema mode

DCI-P3 Gamut

for Digital Cinema

Basic mode

sRGB/Rec.709 Gamut

 

Photo mode

Adobe RGB Gamut

Comments

 

Screen Reflections

All display screens are mirrors good enough to use for personal grooming – but that is actually a very bad feature…

We measured the light reflected from all directions and also direct mirror (specular) reflections, which are much more

distracting and cause more eye strain. Many Smartphones still have greater than 10 percent reflections that make the

screen much harder to read even in moderate ambient light levels, requiring ever higher brightness settings that waste

precious battery power. Hopefully manufacturers will reduce the mirror reflections with anti-reflection coatings and

matte or haze surface finishes.

 

Our Lab Measurements include Average Reflectance for Ambient Light from All Directions and for Mirror Reflections.

We use an Integrating Hemisphere and a highly collimated pencil light beam together with a Spectroradiometer.

Note the Screen Reflectance is exactly the same for all of the Galaxy Note8 Screen Modes.

 

The Galaxy Note8 has one of the lowest Screen Reflectance levels that we have ever measured for a Smartphone.

These results are extremely important for screen readability, picture quality, and color accuracy in ambient light.

 

Categories

 Galaxy Note8

Comments

Average Screen Reflection

Light From All Directions

4.6 percent

for Ambient Light Reflections

Excellent

Measured using an Integrating Hemisphere and

a Spectroradiometer.

The lowest value we have ever measured

for a Smartphone is 4.4 percent.

Mirror Reflections

Percentage of Light Reflected

 5.7 percent

for Mirror Reflections

Very Good

These are the most annoying types of Reflections.

Measured using a Spectroradiometer and a narrow

collimated pencil beam of light reflected off the screen.

The lowest value we have ever measured

for a Smartphone is 5.6 percent.

 

Brightness and Contrast

The Contrast Ratio is the specification that gets the most attention, but it only applies for low ambient light, which is seldom

the case for mobile displays. Much more important is the Contrast Rating, which indicates how easy it is to read the screen

under high ambient lighting and depends on both the Maximum Brightness and the Screen Reflectance. The larger the better.

The display’s actual on-screen Contrast Ratio changes with the Ambient Light lux level and is proportional to the Contrast Rating.

 

The Galaxy Note8 is up to 22 percent Brighter than the Galaxy S8.

With Automatic Brightness On the Galaxy Note8 Peak Luminance reaches 1,240 nits, a new Record for Smartphones.

 

 

Categories

 

Adaptive Display

Widest Color Gamut

 

Cinema mode

DCI-P3 Gamut

for Digital Cinema

Basic mode

sRGB/Rec.709 Gamut

 

Photo mode

Adobe RGB Gamut

 

Comments

Home Screen Peak Brightness

Measured for White

Brightness 601 cd/m2

Excellent

Brightness 547 cd/m2

Excellent

Brightness 546 cd/m2

Excellent

The Peak Brightness for White on the Home Screen.

 

Measured Average Brightness

50% Average Picture Level

Brightness 525 cd/m2

Excellent

Brightness 491 cd/m2

Very Good

Brightness 490 cd/m2

Very Good

This is the Brightness for typical screen content

that has a 50% Average Picture Level.

Measured Full Brightness

100% Full Screen White

Brightness 423 cd/m2

Very Good

Brightness 406 cd/m2

Very Good

Brightness 405 cd/m2

Very Good

This is the Brightness for a screen that is entirely

all white with 100% Average Picture Level.

Measured Peak Brightness

1% Full Screen White

Brightness 728 cd/m2

Excellent

Brightness 658 cd/m2

Excellent

Brightness 657 cd/m2

Excellent

This is the Peak Brightness for a screen that

has only a tiny 1% Average Picture Level.

Measured Auto Brightness

in High Ambient Light

with Automatic Brightness On

High Auto Brightness

560 – 1,240 cd/m2

Excellent

High Auto Brightness

560 – 1,240 cd/m2

Excellent

High Auto Brightness

560 – 1,240 cd/m2

Excellent

Some displays including the Galaxy Note8 have

higher Brightness in Automatic Brightness Mode.

 

 

Low Ambient Light

Lowest Peak Brightness

Super Dimming Mode

Brightness Slider to Minimum

2 cd/m2

For Very Low Light

2 cd/m2

For Very Low Light

2 cd/m2

For Very Low Light

This is the Lowest Brightness with the Slider set to

Minimum. This is useful for working in very dark

environments. Picture Quality remains Excellent.

Black Brightness at 0 lux

at Maximum Brightness Setting

0 cd/m2

Outstanding

0 cd/m2

Outstanding

0 cd/m2

Outstanding

Black Brightness is important for Low Ambient Light,

which is seldom the case for mobile devices.

Contrast Ratio at 0 lux

Relevant for Low Ambient Light

Infinite

Outstanding

Infinite

Outstanding

Infinite

Outstanding

Only relevant for Low Ambient Light,

which is seldom the case for mobile devices.

 

High Ambient Light

Contrast Rating

for High Ambient Light

 

The Higher the Better

for Screen Readability

in High Ambient Light

92 – 158

Very Good

 

122 – 270

With Auto Brightness

Excellent

88 – 143

Very Good

 

 122 – 270

With Auto Brightness

Excellent

 88 – 143

Very Good

 

122 – 270

With Auto Brightness

Excellent

Depends on the Screen Reflectance and Brightness.

Defined as Maximum Brightness / Average Reflectance.

 

The display’s actual on-screen Contrast Ratio

changes with the Ambient Light lux level and

is proportional to the Contrast Rating.

Screen Readability

in High Ambient Light

Very Good  A

 

   Excellent  A+

With Auto Brightness

Very Good  A

 

    Excellent  A+

With Auto Brightness

Very Good  A

 

    Excellent  A+

With Auto Brightness

Indicates how easy it is to read the screen

under High Ambient Lighting. Depends on

both the Screen Reflectance and Brightness.

See High Ambient Light Screen Shots

 

Colors and Intensities

 

Figure 1

Color Gamuts

Click to Enlarge

 

Figure 2

Color Accuracy

Click to Enlarge

 

Figure 3

Intensity Scales

Click to Enlarge

 

The Color Gamut, Intensity Scale, and White Point determine the quality and accuracy of all displayed images and all

the image colors. Bigger is definitely Not Better because the display needs to match all the standards that were used

when the content was produced. For LCDs a wider Color Gamut reduces the power efficiency and the Intensity Scale

affects both image brightness and color mixture accuracy.

 

The Galaxy Note8 Screen Modes are calibrated for different content, applications and user preferences.

The Galaxy Note8 has the new wider DCI-P3 Color Gamut and improved Color and Contrast Accuracy.

 

 

Categories

 

Adaptive Display

Widest Color Gamut

 

Cinema mode

DCI-P3 Gamut

for Digital Cinema

Basic mode

sRGB/Rec.709 Gamut

 

Photo mode

Adobe RGB Gamut

 

Comments

Color of White

Color Temperature in degrees

 

Measured in the dark at 0 lux

See Figure 1

7,582 K

2.8 JNCD from D65 White

 

User Adjustable

from 6,800 K to 8,800 K

White is Somewhat Bluish

Intentionally Bluish Mode

 

For Some Applications

the White Point Will Vary

with the Ambient Lighting

6,471 K

0.8 JNCD from D65 White

 

Very Close to Standard

Accurate Cinema mode

 

 

See Figure 1

6,465 K

0.8 JNCD from D65 White

 

Very Close to Standard

Accurate Basic mode

Accurate Photo mode

 

See Figure 1

D65 with 6,500 K is the standard color of White

for most Consumer Content and needed for

accurate color reproduction of all images.

 

JNCD is a Just Noticeable Color Difference.

White Point accuracy is more critical than other colors.

 

See Figure 1 for the plotted White Points.

See Figure 2 for the definition of JNCD.

Color Gamut

Measured in the dark at 0 lux

 

See Figure 1

112 percent

DCI-P3 Cinema Gamut

Intentionally Vivid Colors

Wide Color Gamut Mode

 

141 percent

sRGB / Rec.709 Gamut

Intentionally Vivid Colors

Wide Color Gamut Mode

 

See Figure 1

 

104 percent

DCI-P3 Cinema Gamut

Very Close to Standard

Accurate Cinema mode

 

See Figure 1

Basic mode 106 percent

sRGB / Rec.709 Gamut

Very Close to Standard

Accurate Basic mode

 

Photo mode 100 percent

Adobe RGB Gamut

Very Close to Standard

Accurate Photo mode

 

See Figure 1

Most current consumer content uses sRGB / Rec.709.

 

Many advanced digital cameras use Adobe RGB.

 

The new 4K UHD TVs and Digital Cinema use DCI-P3.

 

A Wide Color Gamut is useful in High Ambient Light

and for some applications. It can be used with Color

Management to dynamically change the Gamut.

 

See Figure 1

 

Color Accuracy

Absolute Color Accuracy

Average Color Error at 0 lux

 

For 41 Reference Colors

Just Noticeable Color Difference

See Figure 2

Adaptive Display mode

Average Color Shift

From sRGB / Rec.709

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0428

10.7 JNCD

Intentionally Vivid Colors

Wide Color Gamut Mode

 

See Figure 2

Cinema mode

Average Color Error

From DCI-P3

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0137

3.4 JNCD

Very Good Accuracy

Accurate Cinema mode

 

See Figure 2

 Basic mode

Average Color Error

From sRGB / Rec.709

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0123

 3.1 JNCD

Very Good Accuracy

Accurate Basic mode

 

Photo mode

Average Color Error

From Adobe RGB

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0134

 3.3 JNCD

Very Good Accuracy

Accurate Photo mode

 

See Figure 2

JNCD is a Just Noticeable Color Difference.

 

See Figure 2 for the definition of JNCD and for

Accuracy Plots showing the measured Color Errors.

 

Average Errors below 3.5 JNCD are Very Good.

Average Errors  3.5 to 7.0 JNCD are Good.

Average Errors above 7.0 JNCD are Poor.

Absolute Color Accuracy

Largest Color Error at 0 lux

 

For 41 Reference Colors

Just Noticeable Color Difference

See Figure 2

Adaptive Display mode

Largest Color Shift

From sRGB / Rec.709

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0702

17.6 JNCD for Cyan-Blue

Intentionally Vivid Colors

Wide Color Gamut Mode

 

See Figure 2

Cinema mode

Largest Color Error

From DCI-P3

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0265

6.6 JNCD for Cyan-Blue

Very Good Accuracy

Accurate Cinema mode

 

See Figure 2

Basic mode

 Largest Color Error

From sRGB / Rec.709

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0243

6.1 JNCD for Cyan-Blue

Very Good Accuracy

Accurate Basic mode

 

Photo mode

 Largest Color Error

From Adobe RGB

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0232

5.8 JNCD for Cyan-Blue

Very Good Accuracy

Accurate Photo mode

 

See Figure 2

JNCD is a Just Noticeable Color Difference.

 

See Figure 2 for the definition of JNCD and for

Accuracy Plots showing the measured Color Errors.

 

Largest Errors below   7.0 JNCD are Very Good.

Largest Errors  7.0 to 14.0 JNCD are Good.

Largest Errors above 14.0 JNCD are Poor.

This is twice the limit for the Average Error.

 

Intensity Scale and Image Contrast Accuracy

Dynamic Brightness

Luminance Decrease with

Average Picture Level APL

42 percent Decrease

Good

38 percent Decrease

Good

38 percent Decrease

Good

This is the percent Brightness decrease with APL

Average Picture Level. Ideally should be 0 percent.

Intensity Scale and

Image Contrast

 

See Figure 3

Smooth and Straight

Very Good

Somewhat Too Steep

See Figure 3

Smooth and Straight

Very Good

Somewhat Too Steep

See Figure 3

Smooth and Straight

Very Good

Somewhat Too Steep

See Figure 3

The Intensity Scale controls image contrast needed

for accurate Image Contrast and Color reproduction.

See Figure 3

Gamma for the Intensity Scale

Larger has more Image Contrast

 

See Figure 3

2.48

Very Good

Gamma Slightly Too High

2.46

Very Good

Gamma Slightly Too High

 2.46

Very Good

Gamma Slightly Too High

Gamma is the log slope of the Intensity Scale.

Gamma of 2.20 is the standard and needed for

accurate Image Contrast and Color reproduction.

See Figure 3

Image Contrast Accuracy

Very Good

Very Good

Very Good

See Figure 3

 

Viewing Angles

The variation of Brightness, Contrast, and Color with Viewing Angle is especially important for Smartphones because

of their larger screen and multiple viewers. The typical manufacturer 176+ degree specification for LCD Viewing Angle

is nonsense because that is where the Contrast Ratio falls to a miniscule 10. For most LCDs there are substantial

degradations at less than ±30 degrees, which is not an atypical Viewing Angle for Smartphones and Tablets.

 

Note that the Viewing Angle performance is also very important for a single viewer because the Viewing Angle can vary

significantly based on how the Smartphone is held. The Viewing Angle can be very large if resting on a table or desk.

 

The Viewing Angle variations are essentially identical for all of the Galaxy Note8 Screen Modes.

The Galaxy Note8 has very similar Viewing Angle Performance to the Galaxy S8.

 

 

Categories

 

Adaptive Display

Widest Color Gamut

 

Cinema mode

DCI-P3 Gamut

for Digital Cinema

Basic mode

sRGB/Rec.709 Gamut

 

Photo mode

Adobe RGB Gamut

 

Comments

Brightness Decrease

at a 30 degree Viewing Angle

29 percent Decrease

Small Decrease

Very Good

Most screens become less bright when tilted.

OLED decrease is due to optical absorption.

LCD decrease is generally greater than 50 percent.

Contrast Ratio at 0 lux

at a 30 degree Viewing Angle

Infinite Contrast Ratio

Outstanding

A measure of screen readability when the screen

is tilted under low ambient lighting.

White Point Color Shift

at a 30 degree Viewing Angle

Small Color Shift

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0092

 2.3 JNCD Very Good

JNCD is a Just Noticeable Color Difference.

See Figure 2 for the definition of JNCD.

Primary Color Shifts

Largest Color Shift for R,G,B

at a 30 degree Viewing Angle

Largest Color Shift

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0200 for Pure Blue

5.0 JNCD Very Good

JNCD is a Just Noticeable Color Difference.

See Figure 2 for the definition of JNCD.

Same Rating Scale as Absolute Color Accuracy.

Color Shifts for Color Mixtures

at a 30 degree Viewing Angle

Reference Brown (255, 128, 0)

 Small Color Shift

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0028

0.7 JNCD Excellent

JNCD is a Just Noticeable Color Difference.

Color Shifts for non-IPS LCDs are about 10 JNCD.

Reference Brown is a good indicator of color shifts

with angle because of unequal drive levels and

roughly equal luminance contributions from Red

and Green. See Figure 2 for the definition of JNCD.

 

Display Spectra

The Display Spectra for the Screen Modes and for the Night Mode Blue Light Filter are measured in Figure 4 below.

The Blue Light Filter is designed to change the color balance of the display in order to reduce the amount of Blue Light

produced by the display, which some recent research indicates can affect how well users sleep afterwards.

 

 

 

Figure 4

Display Spectra

Click to Enlarge

 

 

Display Power Consumption

The display power was measured using a Linear Regression between Luminance and AC Power with a fully charged battery.

All of our measurements were performed in the Galaxy Note8 High Performance Mode with the Power Saving Mode Off.

 

Since the displays will have different screen sizes and maximum brightness, the display power values below were also scaled

to the same screen Brightness (Luminance) and same screen area in order to compare their Relative Power Efficiencies.

 

Comparison with LCDs

While LCDs remain more power efficient for images with mostly full screen white content (like all text screens on a

white background, for example), OLEDs are more power efficient for typical mixed image content because they are

emissive displays so their power varies with the Average Picture Level (average Brightness) of the image content over

the entire screen. For OLEDs, Black pixels and sub-pixels don’t use any power so screens with Black backgrounds are

very power efficient for OLEDs. For LCDs the display power is fixed and independent of image content. Currently,

OLED displays are more power efficient than LCDs for Average Pictures Levels of 65 percent or less, and LCDs are

more power efficient for Average Picture Levels above 65 percent. Since both technologies are continuing to improve

their power efficiencies, the crossover will continue to change with time.

 

Comparison with the Galaxy S8

Below we compare the Relative Display Power Efficiencies of the Galaxy Note8 with the Galaxy S8.

The results are scaled for the same Luminance and Screen Area.

 

The Galaxy Note8 has slightly higher Power Efficiency and slightly lower Relative Power Consumption than the Galaxy S8.

 

Categories

Galaxy S8

Galaxy Note8

Comments

Average Display Power

Maximum Brightness at

50% Average Picture Level

50% Average Picture Level

 

1.00 watts

with 485 cd/m2

13.1 inch2 Screen Area

50% Average Picture Level

 

1.20 watts

with 525 cd/m2

15.7 inch2 Screen Area

This measures the Average Display Power for

a wide range of image content.

 

 

Relative Power Efficiency

50% Average Picture Level

Compared to Galaxy S8

For the same S8 485 cd/m2

For the same S8 Screen Area

Relative Average Power 100%

 

1.00 watts

 with the same 485 cd/m2

with the same 13.1 inch2 Screen Area

Relative Average Power 92%

 

0.92 watts

 with the same 485 cd/m2

with the same 13.1 inch2 Screen Area

This compares the Relative Power Efficiency

by scaling the measured Display Power to the

same Screen Brightness and same Screen Area

as the Galaxy S8.

 

Maximum Display Power

Full White Screen

at Maximum Brightness

Maximum Power

Full Screen White

 

1.75 watts

 with 420 cd/m2

13.1 inch2 Screen Area

Maximum Power

Full Screen White

 

2.05 watts

 with 423 cd/m2

15.7 inch2 Screen Area

This measures the Maximum Display power for

a screen that is entirely Peak White.

 

 

 

Relative Power Efficiency

Maximum Display Power

Compared to Galaxy S8

For the same S8 420 cd/m2

For the same S8 Screen Area

Relative Maximum Power 100%

 

1.75 watts

 with the same 420 cd/m2

with the same 13.1 inch2 Screen Area

Relative Maximum Power 97%

 

1.70 watts

 with the same 420 cd/m2

with the same 13.1 inch2 Screen Area

This compares the Relative Power Efficiency

by scaling the measured Display Power to the

same Screen Brightness and same Screen Area

as the Galaxy S8.

 

 

About the Author

Dr. Raymond Soneira is President of DisplayMate Technologies Corporation of Amherst, New Hampshire, which produces display calibration, evaluation, and diagnostic products for consumers, technicians, and manufacturers. See www.displaymate.com. He is a research scientist with a career that spans physics, computer science, and television system design. Dr. Soneira obtained his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Princeton University, spent 5 years as a Long-Term Member of the world famous Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, another 5 years as a Principal Investigator in the Computer Systems Research Laboratory at AT&T Bell Laboratories, and has also designed, tested, and installed color television broadcast equipment for the CBS Television Network Engineering and Development Department. He has authored over 35 research articles in scientific journals in physics and computer science, including Scientific American. If you have any comments or questions about the article, you can contact him at dtso.info@displaymate.com.

 

DisplayMate Display Optimization Technology

All Smartphone, Tablet, Monitor and TV displays can be significantly improved using DisplayMate’s proprietary very advanced scientific analysis and mathematical display modeling and optimization of the display hardware, factory calibration, and driver parameters. We help manufacturers with expert display procurement, prototype development, display performance improvement and optimization, testing displays to meet contract specifications, and production quality control so that they don’t make mistakes similar to those that are exposed in our public Display Technology Shoot-Out series for consumers. This article is a lite version of our advanced scientific analysis – before the benefits of our DisplayMate Display Optimization Technology, which can correct or improve all of these issues. If you are a display or product manufacturer and want to significantly improve display performance for a competitive advantage then Contact DisplayMate Technologies.

 

About DisplayMate Technologies

DisplayMate Technologies specializes in proprietary advanced scientific display calibration and mathematical display optimization to deliver unsurpassed objective performance, picture quality and accuracy for all types of displays including video and computer monitors, projectors, TVs, mobile displays such as Smartphones and Tablets, and all display technologies including LCD, OLED, 3D, LED, LCoS, Plasma, DLP and CRT. This article is a lite version of our intensive scientific analysis of Smartphone and Smartphone mobile displays – before the benefits of our advanced mathematical DisplayMate Display Optimization Technology, which can correct or improve many of the display deficiencies. We offer DisplayMate display calibration software for consumers and advanced DisplayMate display diagnostic and calibration software for technicians and test labs.

 

For manufacturers we offer Consulting Services that include advanced Lab testing and evaluations, confidential Shoot-Outs with competing products, calibration and optimization for displays, cameras and their User Interface, plus on-site and factory visits. We help manufacturers with expert display procurement, prototype development, and production quality control so they don’t make mistakes similar to those that are exposed in our Display Technology Shoot-Out series. See our world renown Display Technology Shoot-Out public article series for an introduction and preview. DisplayMate’s advanced scientific optimizations can make lower cost panels look as good or better than more expensive higher performance displays. If you are a display or product manufacturer and want to turn your display into a spectacular one to surpass your competition then Contact DisplayMate Technologies to learn more.

 

Article Links:  Galaxy S8 OLED Display Technology Shoot-Out

 

Article Links:  Display Color Gamuts Shoot-Out NTSC to Rec.2020

Article Links:  Absolute Color Accuracy Display Technology Shoot-Out

Article Links:  Watching Displays at Night

 

Article Links:  Mobile Display Shoot-Out Article Series Overview and Home Page

Article Links:  Display Technology Shoot-Out Article Series Overview and Home Page

 

 

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