In the first two articles about tips for buying Android phone & tablets, we discussed about price, quality and main brands of Android. In this AW Center article, we are going to discuss about the Displays of Android devices.
See Also:
Guidelines and Tips For Buying Android Phone & Tablet: Price / Quality
Guidelines and Tips For Buying Android Phone & Tablet: Main Brands
Android Gadget’s Display
The display is one of the most important hardware parts of every phone and especially Android gadgets because of availability of these devices with different sizes and technologies. Displays have different parameters which should be considered in the buying process, and the important ones are,
Size: The display size is a very important factor to discuss and an effective criterion on purchasing an Android gadget. Some people like to have large display, while others prefer a small display. First, we need to point out the fact that the size of display is the diameter of screen and usually is expressed in inches. Large screens will be useful for users who have big hands, so they can easily work with their phone. Handsets with large screens will be very useful for playing games and browsing the web. Usually as the size of the screen gets bigger, the price increases too. Small screens are suitable for people who have small hands and interested in small gadgets (as the device gets smaller it will be more delicate). Small screens are up to 3 inch; medium sizes are ranges 3 to 4 inches and from 4 to 6 inches they are considered as large screens.
Resolution: The other important parameter about the display is the resolution or picture clarity. Resolution is actually the number of pixels which fit in the length and width of the screen. So, a higher resolution means better quality of images which are displaying. The quality here is considered the sharpness of elements in the picture and imperceptible pixel images with the naked eye. The common resolutions which is used in most of Android gadgets are: 480x320, 800x480, 1280x720 known as HD, 1920x1080 aka Full HD and 1600x2560 and 1920x1200 for tablets. Consider that by increased in resolution the battery consumption and gadget price increase too.
Pixel density: pixel density is a topic, discussed about very much after Apple introduced the Retina display. Pixel density is actually a measurement for compression of pixels beside each other, and as this number gets bigger the human eye sees a smoother surface of pictures. Pixel density is expressed by pixel per inch unit. The numbers which are seen for android gadgets for this unit is something between 150 to 400 pixels per inch. The champion of pixel density is HTC One which with 441 pixel density has the highest pixel density among other Android gadgets. It should note that the normal human eye can’t detect more than 300 pixels in an inch, so if you do buy a gadget with density close to 300 units it will be a wise choose (We are thinking about Moto X).
Protective Layer: We carry our gadgets with us to everywhere; hence there is always the possibility of physical damage and especially the scratch on the screen. Thus, the manufacturers use a protective layer to avoid screen from the scratches. Gorilla Glass is one these protective layers which can be seen in most of the devices. Just remember that these protective layers are mostly used in high end and some of medium range gadgets and not in low end ones.
Display Type: Displays have a variety of models which TFT LCD is the most commonly used one. Although TFT LCD is used in most of the android gadgets, the high end gadgets have screens with higher quality than TFT LCD. The most common used displays are Super LCD, Super AMOLED, True IPS and LED Backlit IPS. Sony is still uses the TFT LCD screens even in high end models, but they equipped with a specialized engine named Bravia which creates terrific images on the screen especially in XPeria series. Each of these displays has their advantages and disadvantages, but they are all same in creating smooth fantastic pictures on the screen.
Our Suggestion
Based on the discussed technical specifications, we suggest screens with 3.5 to 4.7 inches. This range is perfect for browsing and reading books, while it is not too large. From the resolution perspective we suggest first HD and then 800x480 pixels. Although Full HD is the best, but we don’t recommend it as the prices are very high. We also recommend the pixel density of 250 pixels per inch, as it is very convenient. (Do not spend your money for densities above 300 units, as your eyes could not feel it). Try to buy a phone that has a protective layer for the screen. For the display type, as we mentioned most of the gadgets use TFT LCD, but if you can spend more bucks, then Super AMOLED, IPS and Super LCD are better options. Remember that some companies usually use only one type of display on their phones, besides TFT LCD which is used mostly.
