Galaxy Note 5 Conclusions: A Very Impressive Smartphone Display…
The primary goal of this Display Technology Shoot-Out article series has always been to publicize and promote display excellence so that consumers, journalists and even manufacturers are aware of and appreciate the very best in displays and display technology. We point out which manufactures and display technologies are leading and advancing the state-of-the-art for displays by performing comprehensive and objective scientific Lab tests and measurements together with in-depth analysis. We point out who is leading, who is behind, who is improving, and sometimes (unfortunately) who is back pedaling… all based solely on the extensive objective careful Lab measurements that we also publish, so that everyone can judge the data for themselves as well…
The Best Smartphone Display
The Galaxy Note is the flagship product line where Samsung generally introduces its major OLED display technology improvements and enhancements. While the Galaxy Note 5 screen size and resolution remain the same as the Galaxy Note 4, its display has significantly improved performance. Based on our extensive Lab tests and measurements listed below, the Galaxy Note 5 is the Best performing Smartphone display that we have ever tested. It takes over from the Galaxy Note 4, which was the previous record holder for mobile display performance.
The Galaxy Note 5 matches or breaks new records in Smartphone display performance for:
Highest Absolute Color Accuracy (1.4 JNCD), Highest Peak Brightness (861 nits), Highest Contrast Rating in Ambient Light (183), Highest Screen Resolution (2560x1440), Highest (infinite) Contrast Ratio, and Smallest Brightness Variation with Viewing Angle (24 percent). In addition, almost every display lab test and measurement shows some improvements compared to the Galaxy Note 4, the previous record holder, including slightly lower Screen Reflectance (4.7 percent), an 18 to 23 percent improvement display Brightness, and a 21 percent improvement in display power efficiency, so the Note 5 display actually uses less power than the Note 4 in spite of its much higher brightness. See the main Display Shoot-Out Comparison Table for all of the measurements and details. The Galaxy Note 5 has raised the bar for top display performance up by another notch.
Multiple Screen Modes and Color Management
One very important capability of the Galaxy Smartphones that is often overlooked by many consumers and reviewers, is its set of user selectable Screen Modes. Most Smartphones only provide a single fixed factory display color calibration, with no way for the user to alter it based on personal preferences, running applications, or ambient light levels. Samsung has implemented Color Management for their OLED Smartphones and Tablets allowing them to provide multiple Screen Modes with different Color Gamuts and color calibrations – other Smartphones only provide a single fixed screen Color Gamut and color calibration. This Figure shows the different Color Gamuts. Color Management with multiple and varying Color Gamuts are a very useful and important state-of-the-art capability that all displays will need to provide in the future. All of the recent Galaxy models including the Note 5 and S6 edge+ have this important capability – see the Next Generation of Mobile Displays section below.
The Most Accurate Colors
The Galaxy Note 5 Basic screen mode has the most accurate display colors for reproducing all standard consumer content (sRGB / Rec.709) of any Smartphone or Tablet display that we have ever tested, with a measured Absolute Color Accuracy of 1.4 JNCD, which is visually indistinguishable from perfect, and is very likely considerably better than your living room TV. The previous record holder was the Galaxy Note 4. See our detailed Absolute Color Accuracy Plots and also this regarding Bogus Color Accuracy Measurements. Good Color Accuracy is especially important when viewing photos from family and friends (because you often know exactly what they actually should look like), for some TV shows, movies, and sporting events with image content and colors that you are familiar with, and also for viewing online merchandise, so you have a very good idea of exactly what product colors you are buying and are less likely to return them. Select the Basic Screen Mode using Display Settings – it is not the default screen mode for the Galaxy Note 5.
Adobe RGB AMOLED Photo Mode
Most high-end digital cameras have an option to use the Adobe RGB Color Gamut, which is 17 percent larger than the standard sRGB / Rec.709 Color Gamut used in consumer cameras. The AMOLED Photo screen mode on the Galaxy Note 5 provides a very accurate 1.6 JNCD calibration to the Adobe RGB standard, which is rarely available in consumer displays. It is very useful for viewing high-end digital photos and other advanced imaging applications. This is a significant plus for serious photography enthusiasts. Select the AMOLED Photo screen mode using Display Settings – it is not the default screen mode for the Galaxy Note 5.
Adaptive Display Mode with a Wide Color Gamut
The Galaxy Note 5 OLED display’s native Wide Color Gamut Adaptive Display screen mode has significantly more vibrant and saturated colors with its 134 percent of the Standard (sRGB / Rec.709) Color Gamut, among the highest that we have ever measured for Smartphones and Tablets. Some people like the extra saturated and vibrant colors, plus it is useful for special applications and is recommended for viewing in medium to high levels of ambient light because it offsets some of the reflected light glare that washes out the on-screen image colors. Select the Adaptive Display screen mode using Display Settings – note that Adaptive Display is the factory default screen mode for the Galaxy Note 5.
The Highest Screen Brightness and Contrast in High Ambient Light
Mobile displays are often used under relatively bright ambient lighting, which washes out the image colors and contrast, reducing picture quality and making it harder to view or read the screen. To be usable in high ambient light a display needs a dual combination of high screen Brightness and low screen Reflectance – the Galaxy Note 5 has both. Its screen Reflectance is 4.7 percent, close to the lowest that we have ever measured for a Smartphone. When Automatic Brightness is turned On, the Galaxy Note 5 reaches an impressive maximum screen Brightness of up to 861 nits in high Ambient Light, where high screen Brightness is really needed – it is the Brightest mobile display that we have ever tested. As a result of its high Brightness and low Reflectance, the Galaxy Note 5 has a Contrast Rating for High Ambient Light that ranges from 118 to 183, also the highest that we have ever measured for any mobile display, which quantitatively measures screen visibility and image contrast under bright Ambient Light
Higher Display Power Efficiency
With each successive generation Samsung has been systematically improving the power efficiency of their OLED displays. We measured an impressive 21 percent improvement in display power efficiency between the Galaxy Note 4 and Note 5. It is the higher display power efficiency that allows the display brightness to increase without also increasing the display power – the Note 5 display actually uses less power than the Note 4 in spite of its much higher brightness.
While LCDs remain more power efficient for images with mostly full screen white content (like all text screens, for example), OLEDs are now more power efficient for mixed text and image content because they are emissive displays so their power varies with the overall Average Picture Level (average Brightness) of the image content.
The Galaxy Note 5 is 37 percent more power efficient than the iPhone 6 Plus for mixed content, which includes text together with image content like photos, videos, and movies that generally have a 50 percent (or less) Average Picture Level, APL. The OLED / LCD Power Efficiency Crossover is currently at 67 percent APL Average Picture Level: the OLED display on the Galaxy Note 5 is more power efficient for APLs less than 67 percent, and the LCD display on the iPhone 6 Plus is more power efficient for APLs greater than 67 percent. If this keeps up then OLEDs may pull ahead of LCDs in total power efficiency in the near future… See the Display Power section for measurements and details.