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Samsung Galaxy S5 Display Technology Shoot-Out

 

Dr. Raymond M. Soneira

President, DisplayMate Technologies Corporation

 

Copyright © 1990-2014 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 S5

 

Introduction

The Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series of Smartphones are flagship products for Samsung to show off its latest and greatest OLED displays and display technology. Samsung provided DisplayMate Technologies with a pre-release production unit of the Galaxy S5 so that we could perform our well known objective and comprehensive display Lab tests, measurements, and analysis, explaining the in-depth OLED display performance results for consumers, reviewers, and journalists.

 

While many people have assumed that the Galaxy S5 has basically the same display as the Galaxy S4, but just a bit bigger, that isn’t the case… Our detailed Lab tests show that there have been significant display performance improvements in almost every single test and measurement category, resulting in a number of new records for Smartphone display performance. Based on our extensive Lab tests and measurements, which we present in detail below, the Galaxy S5 is the Best performing Smartphone display that we have ever tested – and it has raised the bar for top display performance up by another notch.

 

With the Galaxy S5 the emphasis has shifted from the traditional yearly increases in resolution, screen size, and pixels per inch (ppi), which have dominated the headlines for the last 10 years. These have now played out as far as visually beneficial, so it’s time for manufacturers, consumers and reviewers to shift their attention and concentrate on the many other even more important display performance issues that we will discuss in detail below.

 

The Galaxy S5 has the same 2K 1920x1080 Full HD resolution as the Galaxy S4, which at 432 pixels per inch is higher than can be resolved with normal 20/20 Vision at the typical viewing distances for Smartphones, so the display appears perfectly sharp and there is no visual benefit to going higher. There are, however, other benefits in moving up to somewhat higher resolutions, so future generations of Smartphones will likely go up to a 2.5K 2560x1440 resolution, as discussed in our 2014 Innovative Displays and Display Technology article.

 

There are many more important and challenging issues for displays than just pixel resolution. For the Galaxy S5, Samsung has instead concentrated on improving the Maximum Brightness, Screen Reflectance, performance in High Ambient Light, Absolute Color Accuracy, Viewing Angles, display power efficiency, and running time on battery. We’ll cover these issues and much more, with in-depth comprehensive display tests, measurements and analysis that you will find nowhere else.

 

OLED Displays

While most mobile displays are still LCD based, OLEDs have been capturing a rapidly increasing share of the mobile display market. The technology is still very new, with the Google Nexus One Smartphone, launched in January 2010, as the first OLED display product that received widespread notoriety. In a span of just a few years this new display technology has been improving at a very impressive rate, now challenging and even exceeding the performance of the best LCDs. Most of the OLED displays in current mobile devices are produced by Samsung Display. We have published yearly articles following their progress with in-depth Lab tests, measurements, and analysis on the evolution of OLEDs in our Galaxy S I,II,III OLED Display, Galaxy S4 OLED Display, and Galaxy Note 3 OLED Display Technology Shoot-Out article series.

 

The Display Shoot-Out

To examine the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S5 we ran our in-depth series of Mobile Display Technology Shoot-Out Lab tests and measurements in order to determine how 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 four years see our 2010 Smartphone Display Shoot-Out, and for a real history lesson see our original 2006 Smartphone Display Shoot-Out.

 

Results Highlights

In this Results section we provide Highlights of the comprehensive Lab tests and measurements and extensive visual comparisons using test photos, test images, and test patterns that are covered in the advanced sections. The Display Shoot-Out Comparison Table summarizes the Lab measurements in the following categories:  Screen ReflectionsBrightness and ContrastColors and IntensitiesViewing AnglesOLED SpectraDisplay Power. You can also skip these Highlights and go directly to the Conclusions.

 

Evolution of OLED Displays

The Galaxy S5 has the latest evolution of Samsung OLED displays since we tested the Galaxy Note 3, which launched in October 2013, and the Galaxy S4, which launched in April 2013. Those results together with the Lab tests and measurements below show that the Galaxy S5 display is a major improvement over the Galaxy S4 and a significant improvement over the Galaxy Note 3 in almost every single test and measurement category, which we cover below.

 

Impressive Brightness

OLED displays had previously been somewhat to significantly dimmer than competing LCD displays up until the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3. The Galaxy S5 continues the OLED brightness improvements in a big way… It’s an impressive 22 percent brighter than the Galaxy S4 and a solid 13 percent brighter than the Galaxy Note 3. For most image content it provides over 400 cd/m2 (Luminance, which is a measure of Brightness sometimes called nits), comparable or higher than most LCD displays in this size class. As discussed below, the very low screen Reflectance of the Galaxy S5 further improves the effective Screen Brightness in high Ambient Light. Even more impressive is that when Automatic Brightness is turned On, the Galaxy S5 hits an incredible 698 cd/m2 in high Ambient Light, where high Screen Brightness is really needed, which is 47 percent brighter than the Galaxy S4 and 6 percent brighter than the Note 3 with Automatic Brightness turned On – it’s the brightest mobile display that we have ever tested. An impressive achievement for OLED technology! See the Brightness and Contrast section for measurements and details.

 

Super Dimming Mode

The Galaxy S5 also has a new Super Dimming Mode that allows the Maximum Screen Brightness to be set all the way down to just 2 cd/m2 using the Brightness Slider. This is 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 delivers Full 24-bit color and the picture quality remains excellent.

 

Multiple Screen Modes and Color Management

Most Smartphones and Tablets only provide a single fixed factory set display calibration, with no way for the user to alter it based on personal preferences, running applications, or ambient light levels. An important capability provided by the more recent Galaxy S and Galaxy Note Smartphones is the inclusion of a number of Screen Modes that provide different levels of user selectable color saturation and display calibration based on user and application preferences. The Galaxy S5 has 5 user selectable Screen Modes: Adapt Display, Dynamic, Standard, Professional Photo, and Cinema, which we discuss below and include detailed measurements for three of the Modes. The Screen Modes require the implementation of Color Management in order to adjust the native Color Gamut of the display, plus additional factory calibrations for each Screen Mode. See the Colors and Intensities section for measurements and details.

 

Cinema Mode and High Color Accuracy

The Galaxy S5 Cinema Mode provides the most accurate Color and White Point calibration for the Standard sRGB/Rec.709 Color Gamut that is used in virtually all current consumer content for digital cameras, HDTVs, the internet, and computers, including photos, videos, and movies. The Absolute Color Accuracy for the Cinema Mode is an Excellent 2.2 JNCD, the most color accurate display we have ever measured for a Smartphone or Tablet. See this Figure for an explanation and visual definition of JNCD and Color Accuracy Plots showing the measured Color Errors. Use the Cinema Mode for the best color and image accuracy, 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 good idea of exactly what colors you’re buying and are less likely to return them. See the Color Accuracy section and Color Accuracy Plots for measurements and details.

 

Professional Photo Mode

Most high-end digital cameras have an option to use the Adobe RGB Gamut, which is 17 percent larger than the Standard sRGB/Rec.709 Gamut used in consumer cameras. The Professional Photo Mode on the Galaxy S5 provides an accurate calibration to the Adobe RGB standard, which is rarely available in consumers displays, and is very useful for high-end digital photography applications. The measured Absolute Color Accuracy of the Professional Photo Mode for the Galaxy S5 is 3.0 JNCD, which is very accurate. See this Figure for an explanation and visual definition of JNCD and Color Accuracy Plots showing the measured Color Errors. There are very few displays that can accurately reproduce Adobe RGB, so this is a significant plus for serious photography enthusiasts. See the Color Accuracy section and Color Accuracy Plots for measurements and details.

 

Adapt Display Mode

The Adapt Display Mode provides real-time adaptive processing to 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 Galaxy S5 RGB Ambient Light Sensor (which measures color in addition to brightness). The Adapt Display Mode also delivers higher color saturation, which appeals to some, and is also a better choice for high ambient light viewing conditions, which wash out the on-screen colors and contrast from the reflected light, which we examine next.

 

Performance in High Ambient Lighting

Mobile displays are often used under relatively bright ambient light, which washes out image colors 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 S5 has both. For Screen Reflectance, the Galaxy S5 (with 4.5 percent) is effectively tied for first place with the Galaxy S4 for the lowest Screen Reflectance of any mobile display that we have ever tested. As discussed above, for most image content the Galaxy S5 provides over 400 cd/m2, comparable or higher than most LCD displays in this size class. See the Brightness and Contrast and Screen Reflections sections for measurements and details.

 

Contrast Rating in Ambient Light:  Even more impressive is that when Automatic Brightness is turned On, the Galaxy S5 hits an incredible 698 cd/m2 in high Ambient Light, where high Brightness is really needed – it’s the brightest mobile display that we have ever tested. Our Contrast Rating for High Ambient Light quantitatively measures screen visibility under bright Ambient Light – the higher the better. As a result of its high Brightness and low Reflectance, the Galaxy S5 has a Contrast Rating for High Ambient Light that ranges from 75 to 155, also the highest that we have ever measured. See the Brightness and Contrast and High Ambient Light sections for measurements and details.

 

Screen Shots in Ambient Light:  This article with screen shots shows how many Smartphones and Tablets degrade in High Ambient Lighting. On the Galaxy S5 the Brightness can be set much higher for Automatic Brightness so that users can’t permanently park the Manual Brightness slider to very high values, which would run down the battery quickly. This extra high level of Brightness is only needed for high Ambient Light.

 

Color Washout in Ambient Light:  The Adapt Display Mode delivers higher Color Saturation, which appeals to some, and is also a better choice for high Ambient Light viewing conditions, which wash out the on-screen colors and contrast from the reflected light off the screen. For example, in 0 lux absolute darkness the Adapt Display Mode has a Color Gamut that has 129 percent of the Standard Color Gamut, but at 1,000 lux Ambient Light, which corresponds to high indoor or low outdoor lighting levels, the Color Gamut falls to 99 percent, while for the Cinema Mode it falls to 84 percent at 1,000 lux, so the higher Color Gamuts are best in high Ambient Light. See the Colors and Intensities section for measurements and details.

 

2K Full HD 1920x1080 Display

The Galaxy S5 has the same 2K 1920x1080 Full HD resolution as the Galaxy S4, which at 432 pixels per inch is higher than can be resolved with normal 20/20 Vision at the typical viewing distances for Smartphones, so the display appears perfectly sharp and there is no visual benefit to going higher. For an in-depth discussion see our Visual Sharpness and Display Resolution section, which explains the many issues that come into play.

 

Diamond Pixels

A high resolution screen shot of the Galaxy S5 and S4 (provided by Samsung) shows an interesting design and sub-pixel arrangement, 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 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…

 

Power Efficiency

The Galaxy S5 display delivers 22 percent higher Brightness than the Galaxy S4 with the same display power. Taking into account its 4 percent larger screen area, the Galaxy S5 has an impressive 27 percent improvement in display power efficiency over the Galaxy S4. Turning this around, for the same screen Brightness the Galaxy S5 uses 18 percent less display power than the Galaxy S4, which helps improve the running time on battery. The Galaxy S5 also has an Ultra Power Saving Mode that lowers the Screen Brightness and also sets the background to Black, both of which significantly reduce display power and can double the running time on battery. See the Display Power section for measurements and details.

 

While LCDs remain more power efficient for images with mostly white content (like text screens, for example), OLEDs are more power efficient for most other content, which are typically darker, because they are emissive rather than transmissive like LCDs. In fact, the Galaxy S5 is 27 percent more power efficient than the Full HD LCD Smartphones we recently tested for mixed image content (that includes photos, videos, and movies, for example) with a typical 50 percent Average Picture Level, APL.

 

Screen Uniformity

One subtle but important advantage of OLEDs is their excellent screen uniformity compared to LCDs, which often show hot spots and shadows from the edge LED lighting.

 

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’s 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 Galaxy S5 shows a much smaller 22 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. See the Viewing Angles section for measurements and details.

 

Viewing Tests

The Galaxy S5 Cinema Mode provides very nice, pleasing and accurate colors, and picture quality. Although the Image Contrast and Color Saturation are 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 Beautiful, even to my experienced hyper-critical eyes. The Cinema Mode is recommended for indoor and low ambient light viewing of most standard consumer content for digital camera, HDTV, internet, and computer content, including photos, videos, and movies. The Adapt Display Mode has significantly more vibrant and saturated colors. Some people like that. It is also particularly recommended for medium and high levels of ambient light viewing because it offsets some of the reflected glare that washes out the images.

 

 

Galaxy S5 Conclusions:   An Impressive Display…

The primary goal of this Display Technology Shoot-Out article series has always been to point out which manufactures and display technologies are leading and advancing the state-of-the-art of displays by performing comprehensive and objective 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 measurements that we also publish, so that everyone can judge the data for themselves as well…

 

OLED Evolution:  What is especially significant and impressive is that Samsung has been systematically and significantly improving their OLED display performance with every single Galaxy generation since 2010, when we started tracking OLEDs, summarized in our Galaxy S I,II,III OLED Display, Galaxy S4 OLED Display, and Galaxy Note 3 OLED Display Technology Shoot-Out article series. The Galaxy S5 continues the rapid and impressive improvement in OLED displays and technology. The first notable OLED Smartphone, the Google Nexus One, came in decidedly last place in our 2010 Smartphone Display Shoot-Out. In a span of just four years OLED display technology is now challenging and even exceeding the performance of the best LCDs across the board in brightness, contrast, color accuracy, color management, picture quality, performance in high ambient light, screen uniformity, and viewing angles.

 

Newest Performance Improvements:  The Galaxy S5 has the newest generation of Samsung OLED displays since the Galaxy Note 3 Smartphone, which launched in October 2013, and the Galaxy S4 Smartphone, which launched in April 2013. While many people have assumed that the Galaxy S5 has basically the same display as the Galaxy S4, but just a bit bigger, that isn’t the case… Our detailed Lab tests show that the Galaxy S5 display is a major improvement over the Galaxy S4 and a significant improvement over the Galaxy Note 3 in almost every single test and measurement category – a good reason to consider upgrading.

 

Best Smartphone Display:  Based on our extensive Lab tests and measurements, the Galaxy S5 is the Best performing Smartphone display that we have ever tested. It has a long list of new records for best Smartphone display performance including: Highest Brightness, Lowest Reflectance, Highest Color Accuracy, Infinite Contrast Ratio, Highest Contrast Rating in Ambient Light, and smallest Brightness Variation with Viewing Angle. The Galaxy S5 has raised the bar for top display performance up by another notch – an impressive achievement for OLED technology!

 

Most Accurate Colors:  The Galaxy S5 Cinema Mode has the most accurate colors for any Smartphone or Tablet display that we have ever measured. This 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 good idea of exactly what colors you’re buying and are less likely to return them.

 

Beautiful Picture Quality:  The Galaxy S5 Cinema Mode provides very nice, pleasing and accurate colors, and picture quality. Although the Image Contrast and Color Saturation are 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 Beautiful, even to my experienced hyper-critical eyes. The Cinema Mode is recommended for indoor and low ambient light viewing of most standard consumer content for digital camera, HDTV, internet, and computer content, including photos, videos, and movies. The Adapt Display Mode has significantly more vibrant and saturated colors. Some people like that. It is also particularly recommended for medium and high levels of ambient light viewing because it offsets some of the reflected glare that washes out the images.

 

Power Efficiency:  OLEDs need to continue improving their power efficiency, which is critically important for mobile displays. We measured an impressive 27 percent improvement in display power efficiency between the Galaxy S5 and S4. According to Samsung, this increase is due to more efficient OLED materials and also to improvements in the display electronics and optics. While LCDs remain more power efficient for images with mostly white content (like text screens, for example), OLEDs are now more power efficient for most other content, which are typically darker, because they are emissive displays rather than transmissive like LCDs. In fact, the Galaxy S5 is 27 percent more power efficient than the Full HD LCD Smartphones we recently tested for mixed image content (that includes photos, videos, and movies, for example) with a typical 50 percent Average Picture Level, APL. If this keeps up then OLEDs may pull ahead of LCDs in total power efficiency in the near future…

 

Upcoming Smart Watch Display Shoot-Outs:  For Smart Watches the software is evolving rapidly and you will be able to regularly download software updates and new Apps as they improve – but the display cannot be updated so choose carefully… For Smart Watches the display is the essential key for a great product, and a major challenge because it needs to be very small, very thin, and have major power constraints to maintain a greater than 1 day battery running time, yet it must deliver bright images in very high ambient light, produce vibrant high resolution colored text and graphics, and provide great picture quality and color accuracy for photos and videos. Samsung has also provided DisplayMate Technologies with the new Galaxy Gear 2 Smart Watches that have high resolution OLED color displays, which we will be testing and evaluating next. After that we’ll produce a full Smart Watch Display Technology Shoot-Out, where we will objectively measure the display performance of the most interesting Smart Watch displays and display technologies. To stay informed Follow DisplayMate on Twitter.

 

What’s Next… The most important developments for the upcoming generations of both OLED and LCD mobile displays will come from improvements in their image and picture quality in ambient light, which washes out screen images, resulting in reduced readability, image contrast, and color saturation and accuracy. The key will be in dynamically changing the display’s color management and intensity scales in order to automatically compensate for reflected glare and image wash out from ambient light as discussed in our 2014 Innovative Displays and Display Technology and SID Display Technology Shoot-Out articles. The displays and technologies that succeed in implementing this new strategy will take the lead in the next generations of mobile displays…

 

DisplayMate Display Optimization Technology

All Smartphone and Tablets 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, testing displays to meet contract specifications, and production quality control so that manufacturers 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 S5

 

Display Shoot-Out Comparison Table

Below we examine in-depth the display on the Samsung Galaxy S5 based on objective Lab measurement data and criteria. For comparisons with the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 and additional background information see the Galaxy S4 Display Technology Shoot-Out, the Galaxy Note 3 Display Technology Shoot-Out, and the Galaxy SI,II,III Display Technology Shoot-Out that compares and analyzes the evolution of the OLED displays on the Galaxy S I, II, and III. For comparisons with the other leading Smartphone displays including LCDs see our Mobile Display Technology Shoot-Out series.

 

Categories

 Samsung Galaxy S5

Comments

Display Technology

 5.1 inch

OLED with Diamond Pixels

Organic Light Emitting Diode

Diamond Pixels with Diagonal Sub-Pixel Symmetry

Screen Shape

 16:9 = 1.78

Aspect Ratio

The Galaxy S5 has the same shape as

widescreen HDTV video content.

Screen Area

 11.1 Square Inches

A better measure of size than the diagonal length.

Display Resolution

 1920 x 1080 pixels

2K  Full HD 1080p

Screen Pixel Resolution.

2K refers to the 1980 Horizontal Resolution

Total Number of Pixels

 2.1 Mega Pixels

Total Number of Pixels.

Pixels Per Inch

 432 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 305 SPPI

 Green 432 SPPI

   Blue 305 SPPI

Diamond Pixel displays have only half the number of

Red and Blue Sub-Pixels as standard RGB displays.

Total Number of Sub-Pixels

       Red 1,037 KSP

    Green 2,074 KSP

      Blue 1,037 KSP

Number of Kilo Sub-Pixels KSP for Red, Green, Blue.

Diamond Pixel displays have only half the number of

Red and Blue Sub-Pixels as standard RGB displays.

20/20 Vision Distance

where Pixels or Sub-Pixels

are Not Resolved

       8.0 inches for White and Green

11.3 inches for Red and Blue

For 20/20 Vision the minimum Viewing Distance

where the screen appears perfectly sharp to the eye.

At 12 inches from the screen 20/20 Vision is 287 PPI.

Display Sharpness

at Typical Viewing Distances

Display appears Perfectly Sharp

Pixels are not Resolved with 20/20 Vision

at Typical Viewing Distances of 11 to 15 inches

 

The Sub-Pixel Rendering used on the Galaxy S5 further improves Display Sharpness

The Typical Viewing Distances for the Galaxy S5

are in the range of 11 to 15 inches.

 

Note that eye’s resolution is much lower

for Red and Blue color content than White and Green.

Photo Viewer Color Depth

 Full 24-bit Color

No Dithering Visible

256 Intensity Levels

Many Android Smartphones and Tablets still have some

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

The Samsung Galaxy Notes do 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 S5 has 5 user selectable Screen Modes that are calibrated for different applications and user preferences.

Here we provide results for the Adapt Display mode, which includes some dynamic settings, the Professional Photo mode,

which is accurately calibrated for the Adobe RGB Gamut used in high-end digital photography, and the Cinema mode,

which is accurately calibrated for standard content for camera, photo, video, movie, web, and computers.

 

Adapt Display

Professional Photo

Cinema

Comments

Viewing Tests

in Subdued Ambient Lighting

 

Good Images

Photos and Videos

have too much color

and accurate contrast

 

Intentionally Vivid Mode

Very Good Images

Adobe RGB Photos

have very good color

and accurate contrast

 

Accurate Pro Mode

Very Good Images

Photos and Videos

have very good color

and accurate contrast

 

Accurate Mode

The Viewing Tests examine the accuracy of

photographic images by comparing the displays

to a calibrated studio monitor and HDTV.

 

Variation with Viewing Angle

Colors and Brightness

 

See Viewing Angles

Small Color Shifts

with Viewing Angle

 

Small Brightness Shift

with Viewing Angle

Small Color Shifts

with Viewing Angle

 

Small Brightness Shift

with Viewing Angle

Small Color Shifts

with Viewing Angle

 

Small Brightness Shift

with Viewing Angle

The Galaxy S5 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

Intentionally Vivid Mode

Excellent OLED Display

Accurate Pro Mode

Excellent OLED Display

Accurate Mode

The Galaxy S5 OLED Display performed

very well in the Lab Tests and Measurements.

 

It is the best OLED display we have ever tested.

 

Absolute Color Accuracy

Measured over Entire Gamut

 

See Figure 2 and Colors

Good Color Accuracy

Large Color Errors But

Intentionally Vivid Mode

Very Good Color Accuracy

Color Errors are Small

Accurate Pro Mode

Excellent Color Accuracy

Color Errors are Small

Accurate Mode

Absolute Color Accuracy is measured with a

Spectroradiometer for 21 Reference Colors

uniformly distributed within the entire Color Gamut.

 

See Figure 2 and Colors and Intensities 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 Intensity Scale and Gamma.

 

See Figure 3 and Brightness and Contrast for details.

Performance in Ambient Light

Contrast Rating

See Brightness and Contrast

 

Display Brightness

Screen Reflectance

See Screen Reflections

Best Contrast Rating

for High Ambient Light

we have ever measured

 

Very High Brightness

Very Low Reflectance

Best Contrast Rating

for High Ambient Light

we have ever measured

 

Very High Brightness

Very Low Reflectance

Best Contrast Rating

for High Ambient Light

we have ever measured

 

Very High Brightness

Very Low Reflectance

With Auto Brightness On the Galaxy S5 has the

Highest Contrast Rating for High Ambient Light

that we have ever measured.

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

Good Calibration

Intentionally Vivid Mode

Very Good Calibration

Accurate Pro Mode

Excellent Calibration

Accurate Mode

The Galaxy S5 has multiple Screen Modes

that deliver accurately calibrated images and

also Vivid Modes preferred by some users and

that also perform better in high Ambient Light.

 

Overall Display Grade

Overall Galaxy S5 Display Grade is Excellent A

It has raised the bar for top display performance up another notch

The Galaxy S5 delivers excellent image

quality, has both Accurate and Vivid modes,

has high Brightness and low Reflectance,

and is an all around top performing display.

Intentionally Vivid Mode

Best for Viewing in

High Ambient Light

Accurate Mode for

Viewing High-End

Adobe RGB Photos

Accurate Mode for

Viewing Most Content

Photo Video Movie PC Web

 

Adapt Display

Professional Photo

Cinema

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.

Note that the Screen Reflectance is exactly the same for all of the Galaxy S5 Screen Modes.

 

The Galaxy S5 is effectively tied for first place with the Galaxy S4 for the lowest Screen Reflectance (4.4 percent)

for any mobile display that we have ever tested.

 

Adapt Display

Professional Photo

Cinema

Comments

Average Screen Reflection

Light From All Directions

 4.5 percent for Ambient Light Reflections

Excellent

Measured using an Integrating Hemisphere and

a Spectroradiometer. The best value we have

ever measured for a Smartphone is 4.4 percent.

Mirror Reflections

Percentage of Light Reflected

   6.3 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.

 

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 Galaxy S5 has the Highest Brightness and Best Contrast Rating for High Ambient Light that we have ever measured.

 

Adapt Display

Professional Photo

Cinema

Comments

Measured Average Brightness

50% Average Picture Level

Brightness 386 cd/m2

Very Good

Brightness 369 cd/m2

Very Good

Brightness 369 cd/m2

Very Good

This is the Brightness for typical screen content

that has a 50% Average Picture Level.

Measured Brightness

100% Full Screen White

Brightness 351 cd/m2

Very Good

Brightness 337 cd/m2

Very Good

Brightness 337 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 456 cd/m2

Very Good

Brightness 429 cd/m2

Very Good

Brightness 429 cd/m2

Very Good

This is the Peak Brightness for a screen that

has only a tiny 1% Average Picture Level.

Measured Peak Brightness

with Automatic Brightness On

Brightness 698 cd/m2

Excellent

Brightness 697 cd/m2

Excellent

Brightness 696 cd/m2

Excellent

Some displays including the Galaxy S5 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 remained 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

78 – 101

Very Good

 

 97 – 155

With Auto Brightness

Excellent

75 – 95

Very Good

 

97 – 155

With Auto Brightness

Excellent

75 – 95

Very Good

 

97 – 155

With Auto Brightness

Excellent

Depends on the Screen Reflectance and Brightness.

Defined as Maximum Brightness / Average Reflectance.

 

Some displays including the Galaxy S5 have

higher Brightness in Automatic Brightness Mode.

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 Scale

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 three Galaxy S5 Screen Modes that we tested are calibrated for different applications and user preferences.

 

Adapt Display

Professional Photo

Cinema

Comments

Color of White

Color Temperature in degrees

 

Measured in the dark at 0 lux

See Figure 1

7,878 K

Somewhat Too Blue

But Intentionally Bluish

 

For Some Applications

the White Point Will Vary

with the Ambient Lighting

6,755 K

Close to Standard White

Accurate Pro Mode

 

See Figure 1

6,760 K

Close to Standard White

Accurate 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.

 

See Figure 1 for the plotted White Points.

Color Gamut

Measured in the dark at 0 lux

 

See Figure 1

129 percent

sRGB / Rec.709

 

Somewhat Large But

Intentionally Vivid Mode

 

See Figure 1

107 percent

Adobe RGB

 

Close to Standard Gamut

Accurate Pro Mode

 

See Figure 1

106 percent

sRGB / Rec.709

 

Close to Standard Gamut

Accurate Mode

 

See Figure 1

sRGB / Rec.709 is the color standard for most

content and needed for accurate color reproduction.

Most Professional Camera Modes use Adobe RGB.

 

Note that Too Large a Color Gamut can be visually

worse than Too Small.

Color Gamut

Measured in Ambient Light

 

112 percent at    500 lux  

99 percent at 1,000 lux  

94 percent at    500 lux  

83 percent at 1,000 lux

94 percent at    500 lux  

83 percent at 1,000 lux

Ambient Light washes out the Colors and reduces

the size of actual Color Gamut that is seen on screen.

See Color and Contrast in Ambient Light.

 

Color Accuracy

Absolute Color Accuracy

Average Color Error at 0 lux

 

For 21 Reference Colors

Just Noticeable Color Difference

See Figure 2

 Average Color Error

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0288

7.2 JNCD

 

Poor Accuracy But

Intentionally Vivid Mode

 with a Bluish White Point

See Figure 2

 Average Color Error

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0118

3.0 JNCD

 

Very Good Accuracy

Accurate Pro Mode

 

See Figure 2

 Average Color Error

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0088

2.2 JNCD

 

Excellent Accuracy

Accurate 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 above 7.0 JNCD are Poor.

Absolute Color Accuracy

Largest Color Error at 0 lux

 

For 21 Reference Colors

Just Noticeable Color Difference

See Figure 2

Largest Color Error

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0532

13.3 JNCD for Blue

 

Good Accuracy But

Intentionally Vivid Mode

with a Bluish White Point

See Figure 2

Largest Color Error

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0267

6.7 JNCD for Magenta-Red

 

Very Good Accuracy

Accurate Pro Mode

 

See Figure 2

Largest Color Error

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0254

6.4 JNCD for Magenta

 

Very Good Accuracy

Accurate 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 above 14.0 JNCD are Poor.

This is twice the limit for the Average Error.

 

Intensity Scale

Dynamic Brightness

Luminance Decrease with

Average Picture Level APL

23 percent Decrease

Good

21 percent Decrease

Good

21 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

Slightly Too Steep

See Figure 3

Smooth and Straight

Slightly Too Steep

See Figure 3

Smooth ad Straight

Slightly 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

2.42

Gamma Slightly Too High

2.41

Gamma Slightly Too High

 2.41

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 Screen Modes.

The Galaxy S5 has uniformly Very Good Viewing Angle performance.

 

Adapt Display

Professional Photo

Cinema

Comments

Brightness Decrease

at a 30 degree Viewing Angle

22 percent Decrease

Small Brightness Decrease

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’) = 0.0065

1.6 JNCD

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

Medium Color Shift

Largest Shift Δ(u’v’) = 0.0283 for Pure Red

7.1 JNCD

JNCD is a Just Noticeable Color Difference.

See Figure 2 for the definition of JNCD.

Color Shifts for Color Mixtures

at a 30 degree Viewing Angle

Reference Brown (255, 128, 0)

Small Color Shift

Δ(u’v’) = 0.0115

2.9 JNCD

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

Since the displays have different screen sizes and maximum brightness, the values were also scaled to the

same screen brightness (Luminance) and screen area in order to compare their relative Power Efficiencies.

 

Below we compare the Display Power used by the Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy S5.

The Galaxy S5 delivers 22 percent higher Brightness on a larger screen with the same display power.

The display on the Galaxy S5 is 27 percent more Power Efficient than the display on the Galaxy S4.

This increase is due to more efficient OLED materials and also to improvements in the display electronics and optics.

 

Galaxy S4

Galaxy S5

Comments

Average Display Power

Maximum Brightness at

50% Average Picture Level

0.82 watts

with Luminance 313 cd/m2

0.82 watts

with Luminance 386 cd/m2

This measures the average display power for

a wide range of image content.

Maximum Display Power

Full White Screen

at Maximum Brightness

1.50 watts

with Luminance 287 cd/m2

1.50 watts

with Luminance 351 cd/m2

This measures the display power for a screen

that is entirely Peak White.

Relative Power Efficiency

same Luminance 351 cd/m2

same 5.1 inch screen area

1.91 watts

1.50 watts

This compares the Maximum Power Efficiency

by scaling to the same screen brightness and

same screen area.


 

About the Author

Dr. Raymond Soneira is President of DisplayMate Technologies Corporation of Amherst, New Hampshire, which produces video 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 and Tablets 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, testing displays to meet contract specifications, and production quality control so that manufacturers 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, HDTVs, 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:  Samsung Galaxy S4 Display Technology Shoot-Out

Article Links:  Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Display Technology Shoot-Out

 

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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