If you tried to purchase TVs, smartphones, or any other electronic display, you might have come across the term OLED and wondered what it means. Since buying an electronic device with a quality display is costly, you might want to choose which display best suits you. Hence, read this guide till the end to learn about what OLED is and its specs details.
OLED: Definition Specs, Pros, and Cons (2023)
OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, a type of display technology that uses organic compounds to create light and color. Unlike LCD or LED displays, which require a backlight to illuminate the pixels, OLED displays can turn each pixel on or off individually. This means that OLED displays can produce deeper blacks, higher contrast, and wider viewing angles than other types of displays. For this reason, they are widely used in smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs, and other devices that require high-quality and energy-efficient screens.
Pros
OLED displays have several advantages over LCD or LED displays, such as:
a. Better Picture Quality
OLED displays can produce more vibrant and accurate colors, as well as a wider color gamut and higher dynamic range. Also, they support higher resolutions and refresh rates, making them ideal for gaming and video content.
b. Thinner and lighter design
OLED displays do not need a backlight or a thick layer of glass to protect the pixels, which makes them thinner and lighter than LCD or LED displays. Also, they are flexible and curved, allowing for more innovative and ergonomic designs.
c. Lower power consumption
OLED displays only consume power when the pixels are lit, meaning they can save battery life when displaying dark or static images. OLED displays can also adjust their brightness automatically according to the ambient light, further reducing power consumption.
Drawbacks
OLED has some setbacks that you should know before buying, such as:
- OLED displays are more expensive to produce than LCD or LED displays, due to the complexity and rarity of the materials and processes involved.
- Also, they have a shorter lifespan than LCD or LED displays, as the organic compounds degrade over time and cause issues such as burn-in and color shift.
- These displays are not widely available in all sizes and formats, especially for larger screens such as TVs and monitors.
- Moreover, OLED displays may not be compatible with some devices or applications that require specific features or standards. For example, some OLED displays may not support HDR10+, Dolby Vision, or HDMI 2.1 formats, which are important for delivering high-quality video content.
With that, the OLED definition, specs, and pros, and cons guide ends. Also, check out our other guides, such as OLED vs AMOLED or OLED vs QLED comparison guides, to know which is the best display type for you.