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The Samsung Galaxy S III, due to arrive in the U.S. this summer, is the current
hot Android phone of the moment. Anticipated for months and unveiled last week
at a gala event in London, the latest model in Samsung's Galaxy line of phones
brings to the table many impressive features, including Siri-like voice control
and auto-tagging of photos.
However, the new superphone may have one weak spot: the display. Samsung
decided to give the Galaxy S III a 4.8-inch PenTile display -- what the company
refers to as HD Super AMOLED. The relatively new display tech works differently
than other types of screens, using individual pixels in novel ways to boost
resolution.
Here's how it works: In a normal display, the individual pixels are made up
of three sub-pixels -- one each for red, green and blue (making them "RGB"
displays). Those sub-pixels switch on and off depending on what color the pixel
is tasked to display.
A pixel on a PenTile screen, however, has just two sub-pixels. It doesn't
need the third because the pixels actually work together to display visual
information. If a pixel needs a third sub-pixel, it can effectively "borrow" one
from a nearby pixel to render the proper color. The display is essentially doing
more with less, at least in theory.
In practice, it's much less clear. Reviewers, including Mashable's, tend to
view PenTile displays somewhat unfavorably, believing they display some
artifacts by the nature of how they work. Comparing a PenTile screen with a
regular LCD rated at the same resolution, the PenTile may sometimes appear a bit
fuzzy around edges. However, it's a difficult thing to notice without really
looking for it.
SEE ALSO: Is a Retina Screen on the iPad 3
Overkill?
"'Super' AMOLED display sounds fantastic, but a PenTile display has 33% fewer
sub-pixels than a traditional display," says Raymond Soneira, president of
DisplayMate. "These are phoney pixels. A 1,280 x 720 PenTile display is much
less sharp than a true 1,280 x 720 RGB display. "
If PenTile displays have issues, then why does Samsung use them instead of a
traditional high-definition screen? Officially, Samsung says it's because the
technology lasts longer than a regular AMOLED, according to a report from
MobileBurn. Although AMOLED screens, which Samsung says are popular with
customers, have great brightness and color, they tend to get worse over
time.
A PenTile AMOLED mitigates that deterioration. Since it uses fewer blue
sub-pixels -- the ones that have the shortest life -- the display will perform
for longer than the 18 months people usually wait to upgrade their phones.
There may be other reasons behind Samsung's choice, though.
"It's a lot easier and costs a lot less to make a display with just two
sub-pixels per pixel instead of the full complement of three," Soneira says.
"Light throughput is also higher. These are all 'pluses' for PenTile, but the
minus is reduced image sharpness for the stated pixel resolution."
With better light throughput, that would also mean a benefit to battery life,
since the screen won't need to run as brightly to have the same effective
brightness. Since the demand for more features is constantly outpacing advances
in battery tech, device manufacturers look for any opportunity to save power
through design.
Finally, there's the marketing answer. By putting "HD" and "Super" in the
name of the product, consumers are led to believe it's a superior technology
than AMOLED. "People think they are getting a much sharper display," says
Soneira.