What Is LTPO? Is It Better Than AMOLED?

LTPO is a show know-how that mixes energy effectivity with adaptive refresh charges, making it supreme for high-end smartphones. LTPO is taking up AMOLED, which has been the usual within the premium phase for years. However what precisely is LTPO, and is it higher than AMOLED?

What Is LTPO?

LTPO stands for low-temperature polycrystalline oxide. Nevertheless, the total identify does not reveal a lot in regards to the know-how. LTPO is a backplane know-how for OLED shows that permits shows to vary the refresh price dynamically relying on varied circumstances. Circumstances, on this case, check with what the consumer is doing.

For example, in the event you’re enjoying a extremely intensive recreation like Name of Obligation Cellular, your display should sustain with the fast motions. In that case, an LTPO show will crank the refresh price to satisfy your wants. You do not want increased refresh charges while you cease gaming and begin doing the same old mundane issues like scrolling by way of social media, so the show reduces its refresh price.

LTPO know-how has turn into the norm for flagship telephones. The OnePlus 12 and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra had been a few of the first smartphones with this know-how. To reveal how this works, let’s use the OnePlus 12 for example.

Its 120Hz 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED panel dynamically refreshes between 1Hz and 120Hz. It makes use of the total 120Hz when doing lively issues and switches to 10 or 30Hz whereas watching movies. And in the event you’re viewing a photograph or studying textual content, the show lowers the refresh price additional to 1Hz.

How Do LTPO Shows Dynamically Modify Refresh Charges?

Typical AMOLED shows use low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) within the skinny movie transistors (TFTs) that make up the show’s backplane. As an alternative, LTPO AMOLED panels use a mixture of LTPS TFTs to handle switching circuits and a special materials to drive the show. This permits LTPO panels to range the refresh price dynamically.

Apple makes use of LTPS TFTs together with Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) TFTs. Samsung additionally has its proprietary know-how for LTPO AMOLED panels, which makes use of a mixture of LTPS TFTs, Hybrid-oxide, and Polycrystalline silicon (HOP).

Benefits of LTPO Show Know-how

After high-refresh-rate smartphone shows grew to become a actuality, smartphone firms stumbled throughout one challenge—lowered battery life. Whereas smartphones typically have poor battery life, cranking up the refresh price to 90Hz, 120Hz, and even 144Hz implies that display time takes a beating.

Corporations developed LTPO know-how to unravel this drawback by variably altering the refresh price. As you would possibly count on, excessive refresh charges devour extra battery, and decrease numbers translate to much less battery use. By dynamically altering the refresh price, OLED shows minimize down on energy consumption.

Is LTPO Higher Than AMOLED?

Briefly, LTPO AMOLED panels are higher than AMOLED. When looking for a flagship telephone, you may discover that some have AMOLED shows whereas others have LTPO AMOLED shows. It is not the identical factor.

Though AMOLED panels are extra power-efficient than their LCD counterparts, slapping a excessive refresh price on high takes a toll on their effectivity. LTPO is an enchancment to this, and it permits AMOLED panels to make use of excessive refresh charges and nonetheless be energy environment friendly.