OLED and LCD screens each have their own advantages and disadvantages, but from the perspective of comprehensive experience and industry trends, OLED is more suitable for the vast majority of users, while LCD is still the best solution for people who read heavily at night. At present, OLED has been widely used in mainstream flagship phones, and only a few thousands-yuan phones and niche models retain LCD options. The maintenance cost of OLED is about 2-4 times that of LCD.

01 Eye protection performance: LCD is the "savior" for people who read at night

From the perspective of eye protection, the low flicker characteristics of the LCD screen are the core advantage. LCD uses a backlight module to emit light. Most models support DC dimming and can remain stable without flickering at low brightness. However, even if OLED screens are equipped with high-frequency PWM dimming (some models can reach 1920Hz), there is still a risk of flickering in low-brightness scenarios. According to actual measurements by digital blogger @家京华, after using an OLED screen mobile phone to read a novel for an hour at night, the dryness of the eyes is significantly stronger than that of LCD models, while users of LCD screens have almost no discomfort.

Scene translation: For users who use their mobile phones to read and watch videos for more than 2 hours every night, LCD screens can effectively relieve visual fatigue; however, OLED screens have the advantages of high contrast and wide color gamut, making the display clearer and color reproduction more accurate under strong light during the day. However, the low flicker problem of OLED is a flaw. Users who are sensitive to flicker may still experience symptoms such as dizziness and sore eyes even if they turn on high-frequency dimming.

Crowd judgment: Users who use mobile phones heavily at night and people who are sensitive to stroboscopic light directly choose LCD; users who mainly use mobile phones during the day and have high color requirements give priority to OLED.

Dimensions

LCD screen

OLED screen

Dimming method DC dimming (no flicker) high frequency PWM dimming (low brightness still has the risk of flicker)

Comfortability during night use★★★★★★★★☆☆

Strong light performance during the day★★★☆☆★★★★★

02 Cost of use: LCD maintenance cost is only 1/4 of OLED

From the perspective of usage cost, the maintenance and lifespan of LCD screens have significant advantages. According to the official iPhone quotation, it costs 3,200 yuan to replace the original OLED screen of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, while the third-party LCD screen only costs 600 yuan, a price difference of more than 5 times. Digital blogger @ Machine Circle Little Red Riding Hood revealed that the quality of third-party OLED screens varies and is prone to problems such as light leakage and color deviation, while LCD screens have higher technological maturity and the quality of third-party repair products is more stable.

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https://www.china-digitalsignage.com/Products/Interactive_Kiosk/

Scenario translation: If a mobile phone accidentally breaks the screen, the LCD model can be restored to use for a few hundred yuan, while the OLED model may cost thousands of yuan; in addition, the service life of the LCD screen is longer, generally up to more than 5 years, while the OLED screen has the risk of screen burn-in. Fixed content (such as navigation, short video interface) is displayed for a long time every day, and obvious afterimages may appear in 2-3 years.

Judgment of the crowd: People who often use mobile phones naked and use mobile phones will give priority to LCD; users who have complete protection measures (such as sticking films, wearing cases) or purchase AC+ services can choose OLED with confidence.

03 Comprehensive experience: OLED is the “standard configuration” of flagship phones

From the perspective of comprehensive experience, OLED screens have all the advantages. Data compiled by @i科技君 shows that OLED screens are better than LCDs in terms of color, thickness, sensitivity, power saving and other dimensions: OLED’s color gamut coverage can reach 100% DCI-P3, which is 90% higher than LCD’s. NTSC is more vivid; OLED screen thickness is only 60% of LCD, enabling a thinner and lighter body design; OLED's touch sampling rate can reach 240Hz, which is more sensitive than LCD's 120Hz; OLED also supports pixel-level lighting, consumes almost no power in black scenes, and has a battery life that is 10%-15% longer than LCD models.

Scene translation: OLED screens can bring more stunning visual effects, richer dark details when watching movies, faster touch response when playing games, and more power consumption in daily use; however, the shortcomings of OLED screens are also obvious. In addition to eye protection and cost issues, some low-end OLED models also have problems such as oversaturated colors and insufficient brightness.

Crowd judgment: Those who pursue visual experience, gamers, and fans of thin and light bodies should choose OLED with their eyes closed; users with limited budget or low screen requirements can choose LCD models.

04 Non-decisive point: Industry trends and brand selection

At present, the mobile phone industry has fully transitioned to OLED. The flagship models of mainstream brands such as Samsung, Apple, and Huawei all use OLED screens. Only a few thousand-yuan phones from brands such as Redmi and Honor retain LCD options. The technological iteration of OLED screens is faster, and innovative forms such as folding screens and under-screen cameras have been realized. However, the technical bottleneck of LCD screens is obvious and there has been no major breakthrough in recent years. However, the LCD screen is cheaper and suitable for use as a backup machine or student machine.

05 points accurate recommendation from the crowd

1. Users who read heavily at night: choose LCD with eyes closed, such as the LCD models of the Redmi Note series, which perfectly solves the problem of eye fatigue at night; 2. Users of flagship phones: directly choose OLED, as the OLED screens of iPhone 16, Samsung S26 and other models have a comprehensive experience; 3. Users who are mobile users/with limited budget: give priority to LCD, which has low maintenance costs and higher cost performance.

In short, OLED is the mainstream and future trend of the industry, and is suitable for most users; LCD is still the optimal solution in specific scenarios, and the choice needs to be based on your own usage habits and budget.