AMOLED vs TFT: Difference and Comparison

Devices like smartphones, media players, TVs, laptops, tablets, digital cameras, and other such gadgets require a technology that serves better quality visuals and excellent battery life.

And for those technologies like AMOLED and TFT is very important.

An AMOLED is an organic compound, while TFT is a thin transistor LCD.

Both of them have TFT arrays in their display models. The first generates its light, and the second relies on the backlight.

Key Takeaways

1. AMOLED displays have better color reproduction, deeper blacks, and higher contrast ratios than TFT displays.
2. TFT displays are generally more power-efficient than AMOLED displays.
3. AMOLED displays have more flexibility in terms of design due to their ability to bend and curve, while TFT displays are more rigid.

AMOLED vs TFT

AMOLED displays use organic compounds that emit light when an electric current is passed through them, while TFT displays use thin-film transistors to control the flow of liquid crystals. AMOLED displays generally offer better contrast ratios and more vibrant colours than TFT displays.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	AMOLED	TFT
Full Forms	The full form of an AMOLED Display is an Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode.	The full form of the TFT is a Thin-Film Transistor.
Variant Of	The AMOLED display is a variant of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs).	TFT is a variant of Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs).
Display	The display looks black after turning it off.	The display does not completely look black after turning it off.
Quality	It provides visuals with less-resolution quality.	It provides visuals with high-resolution quality.
Viewing Angles	It has an All-around viewing angle.	It has colour inversion at only extreme viewing angles.
Colours	Bright and vibrant colours are available on this display.	Limited contrast options are available in this display.
Display Lights	It has its light.	It does not have its light.
Backlight	It does not require a backlight.	It requires a backlight.
Power Consumption	It consumes less power and has better battery life.	It consumes more power and has inferior battery life.
Production Costs	It is costlier than TFT.	It is cheaper than AMOLED.
Availability	It is available on highly-expensive devices and smartphones.	It is available on easily affordable devices and smartphones.
Co-related Versions	Its closest technology version is its older form, which is improvised, OLEDs (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes).	Its closest technology version is its upgraded form, IPS LCDs (In-Plane Switching LCDs), with improvised features.

What is AMOLED?

OLED displays a thin type of film display technology. AMOLED is also a sub-form comprising organic compounds of the electroluminescent and pixel technology.

It has been serving since 2007, progressing towards high-resolution visuals and reducing battery consumption.

The full form of an AMOLED Display is an Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode. The AMOLED display is a variant of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

Its closest technology version is its older form, which is improvised, OLEDs (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes). The display looks black after turning it off. 

The product is costlier than TFT. All-round viewing angles. Bright and vibrant colours are available with these LEDs. It provides visuals with loss-resolution quality.

It does not have a backlight. So, it consumes less power and has better battery life. It is available on highly-expensive devices and smartphones. 

What is TFT? 

The full form of the TFT is a Thin-Film Transistor. TFT is a variant of Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs).

Like AMOLED, this tech improves image qualities, contrasts, and addressability. But it provides visuals with high-resolution quality, even better than the former.

The display does not look entirely black after turning it off. And the Color inversion at extreme viewing angles. Limited contrast options are available.

TFT does not have a display light, requiring the backlight. That is why it consumes more power and has inferior battery life. 

But it is cheaper than AMOLED. It is available on easily affordable devices and smartphones. Its closest technology version is its upgraded form, IPS LCDs (In-Plane Switching LCDs), with improvised features.

Main Differences Between AMOLED and TFT

1. The AMOLED is a variant of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs), whereas the TFT belongs to Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs).
2. The first display looks black after turning it off. Conversely, the second one does not look black after turning it off.
3. TFT LCDs provide a higher resolution visualization experience than AMOLEDs.
4. The former has an all-rounder viewing angle, and the latter only has colour inversion at extreme angles.
5. Active-Matrix Organic LED displays are available in bright and vibrant colours. On the other hand, Thin-Film Transistor LCDs have limited contrast options.
6. An AMOLED has its light; contrarily, TFT does not have and has to rely on the backlight.
7. The first does not require a backlight, whereas the second does.
8. AMOLEDs have better battery life than TFTs as it consumes less power, while TFT displays have inferior battery life.
9. The former is available on highly-expensive devices and smartphones. And the latter could be found on easily affordable gadgets.
10. Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diodes are costlier than Thin-Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Displays.

References

1. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7047115/ 
2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1889/JSID20.3.156 
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1566119918306049

This article has been written by: Supriya Kandekar