Samsung Galaxy S III: Pentile Super AMOLED used ‘because it lasts longer’

Posted on 11/05/2012 by Mat Smith

Nice processor, shame about the Pentile. It's something that several people have been saying about Samsung's new chest-beating flagship. So why didn't it plump for the warmer Super AMOLED Plus found on both its predecessor and the bigger-boned Galaxy Note? According to Samsung's spokesperson, it's because those blue sub-pixels that are absent on Super AMOLED displays degrade faster than their red and green allies. With the aim of keeping its phones healthily glowing for at least 18 months, it made the decision to go with the Pentile formation. Compared to the Galaxy Nexus, which matches the resolution of the Galaxy S III, Samsung has also shrunk the gaps between pixels on its newest phone in an effort to reduce complaints leveled at its Super AMOLED technology -- although we didn't notice it all that much under our microscope.

Samsung Galaxy S III: Pentile Super AMOLED used 'because it lasts longer' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 08:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Under the microscope: Samsung Galaxy S III’s HD Super AMOLED display

Posted on 03/05/2012 by Richard Lai

By now you should already know that the brand-spanking-new Samsung Galaxy S III sports a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display. That's right: no "plus" here, which means this 720p panel is featuring the same old PenTile RBGB pixel arrangement -- just like the 4.65-inch version on the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II HD LTE. Needless to say, this is again pure ammunition for the folks over at LG; but as we've mentioned before, HD Super AMOLED's superb contrast and higher-than-before pixel density outweigh its shortcomings in most cases.

For now though, let's examine these sub-pixels with a 230x zoom USB microscope and compare them with other phones that we have in hand. Starting off with the HTC One X's 720p SLCD 2 above, you can see how its denser sub-pixels produce a finer picture, but ultimately it's still behind HD Super AMOLED when it comes to contrast, especially with black. Read on for more comparisons.

Gallery: Under the microscope: Samsung Galaxy S III's HD Super AMOLED display

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Under the microscope: Samsung Galaxy S III's HD Super AMOLED display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC One S for T-Mobile review

Posted on 18/04/2012 by Myriam Joire

A couple weeks ago we got to have our Ice Cream Sandwich and eat it too, thanks to a gorgeous couple phones from HTC -- the One X and the One S. Both run Sense 4 -- a thinner, lighter version of the company's polarizing UI -- and together with the entry-level One V, represent HTC's attempt to make a comeback after a lackluster year of me-too products. The first to make its way to the US is the One S which lands on T-Mobile April 25 for $199 on contract (with a $50 rebate). We just spent a weekend with Magenta's new flagship handset. So how does it compare to the global One S? Find out after the break.

Gallery: HTC One S for T-Mobile review

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HTC One S for T-Mobile review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG renames Optimus LTE to Optimus True HD LTE, disses Samsung’s HD Super AMOLED

Posted on 14/04/2012 by Richard Lai

While the Optimus LTE's already made its way to South Korea, Japan and the US (in the guise of the Spectrum and the Nitro HD), LG's decided to give this dual-core handset a new name ahead of its Hong Kong launch at the end of this month. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Optimus True HD LTE. Alas, the "true HD" part here doesn't actually mean the phone's getting 1080p resolution on a 4.5-inch panel (which would be 490ppi; yet Toshiba's actually done it!); but we were told that 'tis really just a dig at Samsung's HD Super AMOLED technology -- you know, the magic behind that 4.65-inch screen on the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II HD LTE.

Simply put, LG doesn't think that 1,280 x 720 on PenTile counts as HD due to the lower number of sub-pixels; and while it's at it, the company also criticized AMOLED's over-expressed colors and higher power consumption in "normal user environment" -- for the latter, LG showed that its AH-IPS has a more consistent power consumption across varying levels of overall whiteness. You can see the relevant slides after the break.

Of course, we've already expressed (twice) how much we like the HD Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy Nexus. The clearness issue now is much less noticeable when compared to the original Super AMOLED; but as for color accuracy, many of us are indeed deceived by the vibrancy that we naturally enjoy -- except when you need to inspect photos, of course. Regardless, we're pretty sure that it's only a matter of time before Samsung strikes back with a, ahem, "true HD" Super AMOLED (Plus) panel -- hopefully in time for the upcoming Galaxy S III.

Gallery: LG renames Optimus LTE to Optimus True HD LTE, disses Samsung's HD Super AMOLED