OLED displays use organic materials that emit light when electricity is applied. OLEDs enable emissive, bright, thin, flexible and efficient displays - and so OLEDs are set to replace LCDs in all display applications - from small displays to large TV sets.

An AMOLED display is an OLED display that is driven by an active matrix backplane, it is a type of OLED display that can achieve high performance. Most OLED displays such as the ones used in TVs and smartphones are actually AMOLED displays.

What does AMOLED mean?

The term AMOLED means Active-Matrix OLED. The 'active-matrix' part refers to the driving electronics, or the TFT layer. When you display an image, you actually display it line by line (sequentially) as you can only change one line at a time. An AMOLED uses a TFT which contains a storage capacitor which maintains the line pixel states, and so enables large size (and large resolution) displays.

AMOLEDs today

AMOLED displays today are used in many applications - and are most common in smartphones. Most smartphones today use AMOLED displays - including the latest Samsung phones, all of Apple's iPhones models and more.

AMOLED displays are also used in OLED TVs, many wearables (such as the Apple Watch), tablets, laptops, VR headsets, monitors, and more.

AMOLED vs PMOLED

A PMOLED uses a simpler kind of driver electronics - without a storage capacitor. This means that each line is turned off when you move to the next line. So let's say you have 10 rows in your display - each row will only be on 1/10 of the time. The brightness of each row has to be 10 times the brightness you'd get in an AMOLED. So you use more voltage which shortens the lifetime of the OLED materials and also results in a less efficient display. So while PMOLEDs are cheaper to make than AMOLEDs they are limited in size and resolution (the largest PMOLED is only 5", and most of them are around 1" to 3"). Most PMOLEDs are used for character display, and not to show photos or videos.

2 color 0.96-inch PMOLED

Flexible, foldable and rollable AMOLEDs

One of the main advantages of AMOLED displays is that they can be made flexible. Flexible AMOLEDs are already popular for many years in smartphones and wearables, and in 2019 we will experience the first foldable devices and rollable screens.

 

Looking to buy AMOLED displays?

Are you looking to buy AMOLED display for your project? AMOLEDs on the market range from small 1-inch ones for smartwatches through large OLEDs used in tablets and laptops - to large TV panels, up to 97" in size. Visit our OLED Marketplace, the world's most comprehensive OLED catalog, where you can browse the available panels, and let us help you find the best AMOLED supplier for your needs!

 
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The latest AMOLED news:

Samsung asks the ITC to ban the import of aftermarket AMOLED smartphone displays into the US

According to reports, Samsung Display has appealed to the US ITC asking to ban aftermarket and refurbished AMOLED displays from entering the US.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra photo
Today it is possible to repair a smartphone display and replace the screen - and there are companies (mostly independent outlets) that offer lower cost displays - which could refurbished ones, aftermarket imports - or even lower cost alternatives produced by other makers. If the ITC approves Samsung's request, these will not be available anymore, and only original Samsung AMOLED displays will be allowed.

Read the full story Posted: Jan 13,2023

Samsung introduces new low-blue-light AMOLED displays

Samsung has demonstrated new AMOLED display panels that offer a lower blue-light emission compared to its current low-blue-light AMOLEDs. Samsung says that the new display reduces blue light emission by 70% compared to 'conventional' displays (which probably means LCD displays, not standard AMOLEDs).

Samsung brands these new displays as Gen-2 LBL (low-blue-light) AMOLEDs, and says that the lower blue light emission was achieved by a combination of the latest OLED emitter materials and advanced AI software. Samsung is mostly targeting laptop displays, saying that the new Gen-2 LBL displays can achieve a brightness of up to 2,000 nits. Samsung will start producing Gen-2 LBL AMOLEDs by the end of 2023.

Read the full story Posted: Jan 11,2023

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple plans to release its first OLED laptop in 2024

Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that according to his sources, Apple is aiming to release an OLED MacBook in 2024.

Apple is already using OLED displays in its smartphones and wearables, and it used to have MacBook Pro powered by an OLED touchbar back in 2016. We know that Apple is aiming to move to OLED displays in its tablets and laptops, so this 'rumor' is not a surprise, but it remains to be seen if Apple's OLED laptops will indeed come as soon as next year.

Read the full story Posted: Jan 11,2023

Nio unveil two new EV SUVs, both with 12.8" AMOLED infotainment displays

China-based EV car maker Nio unveiled two new SUVs, the EC7 and ES8 Prime, and both of them have a large 12.8" infotainment AMOLED touch display. The EC7 is a new coupe SUV, while the ES8 Prime is refresh to Nio's existing six-seater SUV.

The two new cars also adopt several new technologies (such as new LIDAR sensors, electrochromatic panoramic glass room and more) and adopt many new aerodynamic improvement to increase the driving range.

Read the full story Posted: Jan 05,2023

Samsung set to demonstrate a foldable and slidable AMOLED display

According to a report from Korea, Samsung Display will unveil a new display at CES 2023, which is both foldable and slidable. The display is 8-inch in size when folded, opens up to a 10" display when unfolded, and then can be slided further to 12.4".

The display will be shown in a private booth, which will not be open to the public. It is likely that this display is still at an early stage of development, as there are many challenges such as durability and quality that Samsung will need to overcome. The report suggests, though, that Samsung is ready to soon commercialize such a panel.

 

Read the full story Posted: Jan 02,2023

Omdia: the smartphone market is shrinking, but the LTPO-AMOLED display segment is growing fast

Market research firm Omdia says that the global smartphone market is shrinking, and is set to fall 18% in 2022 to 1.425 billion units. LTPS AMOLED display shipments will decline 19% compared to 2021 to 44 million units (LCDs will decline even faster at 26%).

Omdia smartphone display market by tech (2021-2023E)

The only segmented that Omdia says is growing is the LTPO AMOLED one, with a fast growth of 94% in 2022 (to 148 million units), and will continue to grow in 2023 (25%).

Read the full story Posted: Nov 18,2022

DisplayMate: the iPhone 14 Pro Max display breaks 15 display performance records

Our friends at DisplayMate posted an in-depth technical review of the iPhone 14 Pro Max display. The 6.7-inch 1290x2796 10Hz-120Hz 2,300 nits LTPO AMOLED receives DisplayMate's highest display performance grade of A+.

Apple iPhone 14 photo

The new iPhone has the same display size and resolution as the earlier generation iPhone 13 Pro Max, but it includes several new enhances - such as a new always-on display mode, a new dynamic island centered around the sensor area at the top area, and a higher brightness of 2,300 nits vs 1,200 nits. Altogether, the iPhone 14 Pro Max sets 15 new display performance records.

Read the full story Posted: Sep 28,2022

LG Display: OLED will be the main display technology for future AR and VR devices

Yang Joon-Young, a VP at LG Display, says that recent improvement in OLED technologies will cause an industry shift from LCoS devices to OLED microdisplays in AR systems. LCoS will find a market in low-cost AR headsets, but most AR solutions will be based on OLEDs.

Next-generation VR systems, which will require higher pixel densities, will also switch from LCD and mobile AMOLED displays to OLED microdisplays that will offer pixel densities of over 3000 PPI.

Read the full story Posted: Sep 06,2022

BOE says its OLED production in Sichuan is limited due to power rationing, but no major impact

As Sichuan province in China suffers from a record heat wave, and the local authorities announces power rationing, limiting power supply to factories in the area.

BOE 6-Gen Chengdu flexible AMOLED fab photo

BOE has two 6-Gen OLED production lines in Sichuan (the B7 line in Chengdu which started operation in 2017, and the line in Mianyang). The company says that it will have to "make adjustments" to its operations in both lines, but it does not expect any major impact on its operations.

Read the full story Posted: Aug 17,2022

Mini shows a new EV concept with a large round OLED display, to adopt it in future cars

British car maker Mini Cooper unveiled a new concept EV, called the Aceman, that features several new technologies such as a LED Matrix displays, an internal projector that shows designs on the dashboard, and more.

MINI Aceman circular OLED display photo

The Mini Aceman also includes a large round AMOLED display, which is the main (and only, it seems) display in the car. According to Mini, this same display will be used in future production EVs. Hopefully we will have more information on this new display soon.

Read the full story Posted: Jul 29,2022