Mobile phone display mega shootout: The full picture

Wrap up

With most of the review already behind us, we have only managed to tell you half the story so far. Display technology is important for making the right choice but in the end you have to consider more than just that.

There are different resolutions and screen sizes and - of course - the feature sets count too. While you can find an LCD screen of pretty much any size and resolution, you only have two options for Super AMOLED and just one for the Retina.

Cheat sheet

And here goes a brief summary of our findings for the time of creation of this article. We wouldn't advise you to base your decision only on the ratings in it, but it could be used as a quick reference after you've read the whole thing.

Also check out those collages we prepared for you so you can compare the handsets for yourselves.

In complete darkness

Indoor shot • Out in the sun

In the end it all depends on what you use the phone - and the screen - for. The I9000 Galaxy S seems to be the best performer overall, but don't hesitate to go for an iPhone 4 if you need more resolution for those web pages.

Nokia is really going the right way with its CBD technology too - it's just a matter of time before they lift that resolution cap and start using it to its fullest.

And if don’t really care about image quality all that much... Well, grab yourself an LCD and save some cash to spend on apps.

The only technology that has a long way to go to convince skeptics (us included) is S-LCD. It’s just too insignificant of an update for the price premium and the time it took to appear. It will need to boost its credentials and shed its image of an emergency cure for the AMOLED shortage. At least, Apple’s Retina display has shown it’s not all lost for LCDs.

And while the future is with AMOLED, it’s not all rosy for them right now either. They offer excellent image quality and lower energy consumption – that should be enough to make them the definitive choice. But the negative effect of the present AMOLED shortage will be felt for some time.

One possible outcome is that AMOLED screens could become even more desirable. Phones like the Samsung Galaxy S and Omnia 7 will get a major boost being the lucky few to sport a Super AMOLED screen. It’s curious to see what happens to Nokia’s CBD – the Clear Black coating is theirs but they still need to ensure continuous supply of AMOLED units.