February 06, 2024 – Recent revelations from a prominent tech blogger, Digital Gossip Station, suggest a significant shift in display technology for upcoming smartphones. According to the blog, future handsets powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8-series and 7-series chipsets will exclusively feature OLED screens. In contrast, LCD screens will be limited to devices running on the Snapdragon 6-series platform, leaving a noticeable gap in the market for high-performance LCD phones.
Historically, LCD screens have been a favorite among certain users due to their global DC dimming, which eliminates screen flicker and offers a more comfortable viewing experience over extended periods. However, recent advancements in OLED technology have addressed many of its former shortcomings. New-generation OLED screens now incorporate high-frequency PWM dimming at 1920Hz or above, greatly reducing the impact of flicker on the human eye to a nearly negligible level.
Furthermore, OLED displays offer distinct advantages over LCD, including improved power efficiency as individual pixels can be independently controlled, leading to lower power consumption. They also boast reduced latency, making them more suitable for high refresh rates and smoother user experiences.
Critically, in an era where internal phone space is at a premium, the thinner form factor of OLED screens frees up valuable room for other components. Additionally, OLED’s versatility enables features like optical in-screen fingerprint recognition and curved display designs, further enhancing their appeal.
Notably, last year saw the release of high-performance LCD phones like the iQOO Z8 and Redmi Note 12T Pro. But according to the latest rumors, the upcoming iQOO Z9 is expected to ditch LCD in favor of a 1.5K OLED screen, indicating a broader industry trend towards OLED adoption.
