You want to change your phone but you are completely hermetic to new technologies? Difficult to make a choice when you understand nothing of the many appellations appearing on a technical sheet. If the terms Full HD, Quad HD or 4K leave you completely perplexed then you are at the right address. This folder will help you better understand the different definitions of Android smartphone screens. You will finally be able to know if the screen of the mobile you are looking for meets your needs..
Why is the screen so important?
The smartphone has in recent years supplanted the computer and television in the hearts of consumers. It is therefore essential to choose the right phone. Among the essential criteria to take into account, the screen is at the top of the list.
Browsing the internet, emails, instant messaging, video, it's very simple, we spend our day with our eyes glued to these little tiles. It therefore deserves some attention. Especially since in recent years we have seen a whole bunch of appellations bloom (Ultra-HD, Full HD, qHD etc…). Not easy to decipher all these marketing terms..
Difference between definition and resolution
Before starting to dissect the technical sheets, it is essential to understand the difference between the definition and the resolution of a screen . Because contrary to what one might believe these two terms do not mean the same thing.
To put it simply, the definition of the screen corresponds to the number of points or pixels that the screen of a smartphone is capable of displaying. For example, a Full HD screen will display 1920 color points in height and 1080 in width. This makes a total of 2,073,600 pixels across the entire screen..
In terms of display and reading comfort, the definition of the screen is not the only criterion to take into account. It is also necessary to be interested in the size of the screen. Few people think about it, but a Full HD panel will not offer the same display quality if it measures 10 inches or 5 inches. The larger the screen size, the easier it will be to discern the pixels with the naked eye.
How to find your way around? To measure these differences, we invented the concept of screen resolution expressed in dpi (point per inch). This unit of measurement is the number of pixels the screen can display on a square one inch in size. Does this seem very vague?
Let's take our example of Full HD screen (1920 x 1080 pixels). Let’s say you’re buying a 10-inch tablet that has a Full HD definition panel. You will then have a resolution of 220 DPI (Pixels Per square of one inch aside). The same Full HD definition on a 5-inch smartphone screen will provide a resolution of 440 DPI. You will understand, the display accuracy (or pixel density) will be more important on the phone.
With the tablet in Full HD, the image may appear slightly pixelated up close (small dots in the shape of a staircase). While on a 5-inch smartphone equipped with the same technology, the gradations will be of much better quality. The image will be finer and sharper.
Before closing the screen resolution chapter, be aware that the human eye no longer perceives the differences when the image exceeds 300 dpi. Is it worth investing in a phone with a resolution higher than 300 dpi? One can legitimately ask the question. Remember that the higher the resolution of a screen, the more battery it will consume.
Definition of a screen
The manufacturers have taken the bad habit of replacing the traditional figures of definition of screen by names. The whole problem now is to know what lies behind these terms.
- WVGA: 800 x 480 pixels
- HD: 1280 x 720 pixels
- Full HD: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- QHD or Quad HD or WQHD: 2560 x 1440 pixels
- Quad HD +: 2960 x 1440 pixels