9/26/14
Screens test: IPhone 6 against. IPhone 6 Plus against. Samsung Galaxy S5
Aside from lone an alternative, the chief competition in lieu of Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus comes from Samsung's line of Galaxies, the Galaxy S5 and the approaching record 4.
On paper, the screens in the sphere of the two company's phones are lone of the biggest differences. Apple uses a LCD screen while Samsung relies on OLED tools, and Samsung offers elevated motion and to some extent bigger sizes.
In the sphere of the tradition of our before screens tests we locate available to answer with the aim of very question. We used a combination of objective measurements courtesy of the same expensive test gear we apply to evaluate and calibrate HDTVs, and subjective observations courtesy of our amusing, expert eyes.
In the same way as usual both screen has special strengths and weaknesses, but to our minds the Samsung Galaxy S5 has the greatest screen -- albeit by a nose. Indeed, its victory in excess of the iPhones was so narrow with the aim of it would befall tough in lieu of the largest part users to understand many of the differences in the sphere of day-to-day convention.
All four phones we tested -- we threw in the sphere of the 5S in lieu of fine quantity, and we be inflicted with yet to receive a record 4 in lieu of examine -- be inflicted with tremendous screens. In the sphere of piece of evidence, despite using diverse tech, sizes and resolutions, their screens are so close, they pale in the sphere of consideration subsequently to differences like ecosystem, battery life, and overall design.
The iPhones are brighter and to some extent added color-accurate, but the Galaxy is plethora sharp and accurate-enough in the sphere of its own sincere. Motion and pixel density, despite seeming like a huge Galaxy help, is fine an adequate amount of on all four to befall effectively moot. The biggest visual help the Samsung brings to bear is contrast, gratitude to the work on black levels of its OLED screen. Much in the same way as it is with TVs, with the aim of help is an adequate amount of to take home it the best-looking phone screen we've tested yet, and to some extent better than the iPhones 6 and 6 Plus.
Editors' record: On the chart on top of, elevated records are better in lieu of 100 percent ashen and contrast ratio. Decrease records are better in lieu of 0 percent black, grayscale, and color/hue errors. The light output (white and black) records are in the sphere of nits (cd/m2); the contrast ratio calculated from folks, and the boo-boo statistics are Delta E 2000 apiece the Calman 5 software we used in lieu of this evaluation.
Like the largest part phones, the iPhones don't allow you to take home adjustments to the screen quality clear of disabling the space lighting sensor and regulation brightness. The GS5, in the sphere of firm Samsung tradition, is a diverse story. It has two diverse other settings with the aim of dramatically affect the image on the screen.
The original is Screen mode, found in the sphere of the Settings menu under spectacle. Near you can limited from Adapt spectacle, Dynamic, Standard, authority Photo, or else show. We measured them all, and show delivered the the largest part accurate color in lieu of the largest part content.
The back is called "Auto adjust screen tone" (AAST), found by the bed of the spectacle menu, and it's enabled by default. Uncheck it and phone light output increases to some extent, from 301 to 352, humanizing its contrast ratio and its facility to compete with ambient light.
Inspection the "automatic brightness" box on the GS5 enables it to follow even brighter in the sphere of anticyclone ambient-light situations, such in the same way as tell sunlight. We didn't quantity this mode, but the S5's screen performed really well under the sun.
In lieu of each phone on top of we disabled automatic brightness and maximized light output, which delivered highest contrast. In lieu of the GS5 we twisted on show mode and unchecked AAST.
Look by the chart on top of and a duo records withstand available: "0% black" and "contrast ratio" in the sphere of Samsung's file, both of which require an surprising amount of noteworthy digits to express. The OLED screen of the GS5 is infinitely black. The 0.0007 nits I measured is incredibly low, and I be inflicted with an incredibly precise measuring device (pictured above), but even so I suspect it would befall decrease if not in lieu of stray light.
With a black test pattern the screen of the GS5 was basically too small to see to the eye; the same pattern on the iPhones was much brighter. The difference was excluding obvious, although still visible, under routine lighting once looking by material with black and near-black sections.
Contrast ratio is the difference concerning the brightest image a spectacle can create and the darkest, and it's considered the the largest part valuable aspect of abode the stage picture quality. It's additionally good to be inflicted with on a phone. According to our measurements, the GS5 utterly trounced the contrast ratio of the iPhones, with a contrast ratio added than 325 era better.
Of flow, with text, regular photos, and videocassette, the visible difference isn't just about in the same way as huge in the same way as with the aim of amount implies. We compared an array of test photos (courtesy of CNET's Lori Grunin) on the phones' screens side-by-side using an pact related to the lone with the flowers on top of, and the photo beneath showed the Samsung's contrast help the largest part readily.
