In recent years, smartphone screen technology has undergone significant transformation, with OLED display panels gradually replacing traditional LCDs to become the preferred choice for high-end and even mid-range models. Although the technical principles of OLED display and LCD have been widely discussed online, there remains a deeper product logic behind the collective shift of smartphone manufacturers toward OLED display.
Despite shortcomings such as a relatively shorter lifespan and noticeable screen flickering, OLED display’s comprehensive advantages have driven its rapid adoption across the industry. Due to its self-emissive pixel mechanism, prolonged use of OLED display may lead to issues like image retention and screen burn-in. Furthermore, studies indicate that the flicker frequency range with lower impact on eye health should be above 1250Hz, while most current OLED screens operate at around 240Hz, which can cause visual fatigue for some users. In contrast, LCD screens offer greater stability in these aspects. So, why do smartphone manufacturers still widely adopt OLED screen? The main reasons can be summarized as follows:
First, OLED screen demonstrates exceptional display performance. Thanks to its self-emissive nature, OLED screen significantly surpasses LCD in color reproduction, contrast ratio, and color gamut coverage, delivering more vibrant and realistic visual effects.
Second, OLED screen offers remarkable flexibility. Since LCDs must include a backlight layer and a liquid crystal layer, their potential for form factor innovation is limited. In contrast, OLED materials are soft, bendable, and even foldable. The currently popular curved and foldable screens on the market rely entirely on OLED display technology.
Third, OLED display features a thinner and lighter structure while effectively reducing energy consumption. The thickness and light transmittance of LCDs are constrained by the backlight module, whereas OLED screens can be made thinner than 1mm, freeing up more internal space for components such as batteries and cameras, thereby enhancing the user experience. Additionally, OLED display supports pixel-level independent lighting, enabling the display of time, notifications, and other information while the screen is off. This significantly reduces the frequency of full-screen activation, indirectly contributing to energy savings.
Industry perspectives suggest that although OLED display still has shortcomings in terms of lifespan and flickering, its advantages in image quality, form factor innovation, and energy efficiency are more prominent. These strengths better align with consumers’ demands for high-end visual experiences and device innovation. This also explains why mainstream smartphone manufacturers are shifting to OLED screen, while LCDs are gradually being phased out of the high-end market. In the future, as OLED technology continues to evolve, user experience drawbacks—including flicker adjustment and pixel durability—are expected to be gradually addressed.
Post time: Aug-21-2025