The iPhone X has an OLED screen — here's what OLED is and how it's different from past iPhones

The iPhone X. Justin Sullivan/Getty

Apple announced a slew of new products last Tuesday, including three new iPhones: the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

There are several major differences among the three phones, but one of the biggest changes is the screen — the iPhone X is the first iPhone to feature an OLED screen, while the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have an LCD screen like Apple's previous phones.

The OLED technology is new for Apple, but anyone who uses Samsung phones (or the Google Pixel, or the new Essential Phone) is already familiar with OLED. In fact, Samsung has been using OLED screens since its first Galaxy phone came out seven years ago.

So what is OLED?

OLED, short for organic light-emitting diode, is a type of display technology. It differs from the more widely used LCD (liquid crystal display) tech by creating light within every pixel that makes up its picture, instead of requiring a separate backlighting system.

This means it can produce perfectly dark blacks. Rather than trying to cover up a backlight behind the scenes and inevitably letting some light through, it shuts off the appropriate pixels. The result is an infinite contrast ratio — i.e., the difference between a display's darkest blacks and brightest whites.

And that, in turn, means an OLED panel can produce a more vivid, realistic picture. If you've ever put a Galaxy S8 and an iPhone 7 side by side, you've seen the difference: Apple's LCD display is excellent, but Samsung's OLED display just pops more. It's more engrossing. It's thinner, too.

I'm simplifying — improved backlighting tech, wider color gamuts, and HDR have helped the best LCD displays catch up a bit. But stuff like that isn't exclusive to LCD. Judged straight up, the contrast difference is enough to make OLED superior.

The drawbacks

OLED isn't perfect. The displays are more prone to color shifting and are very vulnerable to burn-in, meaning that if you leave an image on the screen for too long, you run the risk of it being retained on — or burned into — the screen over time.

This isn't a problem unique to OLED — LCD screens are also susceptible to burn-in. But the vulnerability is greater with OLEDs and could shorten the life span of your phone (though according to some reports, there are clues in the iOS code that Apple has taken special steps to mitigate the burn-in effect on the iPhone X).

These two screens are displaying the same photo of the color black — that blue line on the OLED screen, right, just serves to show that the screen actually is turned on. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

Changes ahead

What does this mean for people who buy the new iPhone? Well, we'll have to wait until it ships in November to find out what, exactly. But judging by my experience with Samsung's OLED screens, I have a few guesses.

OLED screens paint a much more vivid picture, and the display is so bright and captivating that it almost doesn't look real. You feel as if you could climb into the screen — it's that immersive. For anyone who wears glasses or contacts, the difference between OLED and LCD screens feels like your prescription getting bumped up a notch and everything coming into sharper focus.

Plus, since the iPhone X has a screen that goes almost all the way to the edges, OLED technology could really have a chance to shine.

One thing to note: OLED screens are typically more expensive, and that's part of the reason the iPhone X costs $999.

Jeff Dunn contributed to an earlier version of this post.

SEE ALSO: Big, beautiful photos of the iPhone X

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팀 쿡 "아이폰X, 커피 몇 잔 값이면 산다"

美서 30개월 할부프로그램 이용시 월 33.34달러..한국선 가격 더 비싸

지난 3일 아이폰X 관련 프레젠테이션을 진행하는 팀 쿡 애플 CEO. /사진=뉴시스

팀 쿡 애플 CEO(최고경영자)가 '아이폰X' 고가 논란에 대해 "커피 몇 잔 값이면 아이폰X를 살 수 있다"고 말했다. 256GB 모델 기준 '아이폰X'의 국내 가격은 163만원이다.

지난 3일(현지시간) 미국 IT전문매체 맥루머스에 따르면 팀 쿡은 2일 3분기 실적발표 뒤 열린 콘퍼런스콜에서 "한달에 33달러, 일주일 커피 몇 잔 값이면 '아이폰X'를 살 수 있다"며 "일주일에 커피 몇 잔이면 '아이폰X'를 살 수 있다"고 주장했다.

지난 3일 미국 등 1차 출시국에서 발매된 '아이폰X' 가격은 미국 기준 △64GB 모델 999달러(약 111만4400원) △256GB 모델 1149달러(128만1700원)이다.

팀 쿡의 이런 비교는 통신사가 제고하는 할부 프로그램을 염두에 둔 발언으로 해석된다. 그는 “미국 통신사 AT&T는 월 33.34달러(3만8000원)씩 부담하는 ‘아이폰X’ 64GB 모델 30개월 할부를 지원한다”며 “많은 이들이 매달 휴대전화 할부금을 내고 있다는 것을 기억해야 한다”고 덧붙였다.

매달 한 잔에 4100원인 대표 커피전문점 스타벅스의 톨사이즈 아메리카노 약 9잔을 마시지 않으면 '아이폰X'의 할부금만큼 아낄 수 있다.

'아이폰'의 높은 중고가도 강조했다. 그는 기존 아이폰 이용자가 구형 모델을 300~350달러(약 33만4600원~39만400원)에 팔아 새 아이폰을 사는데 보탤 수 있다고 말했다. 아이폰은 일반적으로 다른 스마트폰들보다 중고가격이 높게 형성돼 있다.

하지만 한국에선 팀 쿡이 말한 '커피 몇 잔'보다 더 많이 아껴야 '아이폰X'를 구입할 수 있을 것으로 보인다. 지난 1일 애플코리아가 공식 홈페이지에 게시한 '아이폰X'(무약정폰)의 한국 출고가격은 64GB 모델 142만원(세금 포함), 256GB 모델은 163만원으로 미국 현지 가격보다 비싸다.

팀 쿡 애플 CEO. /사진=뉴시스

남궁민 기자 serendip153@mt.co.kr

이슈 · 아이폰X・아이폰8#아이폰x#커피#모델

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iPhone X more expensive than in US, Japan

By Kang Seung-woo 

Apple's iPhone X / AP-Yonhap

Korean consumers will have to pay more to purchase the iPhone X than American and Japanese customers. 

Apple Korea unveiled the price tags for the 10th anniversary phone this week; buying the 64 GB device outright from Apple will cost 1.42 million won ($1,270). The 256 GB edition without any contracts or ties with a particular carrier will be available for 1.63 million won. 

The prices are much higher here than in the United States and Japan. 

The 64 GB model costs $999 and the 256 GB handset sells for $1,149 in the U.S. Even considering the 10 percent taxes imposed on the device there, the pricing is still high. 

In Japan, the prices for the iPhone X models are also 112,800 yen (1.1 million won) and 130,045 yen. 

The iPhone X is Apple's most expensive handset ever, but the pricing beat expectations it would be around 1.3 million won and 1.5 million won. 

The iPhone 8 that hit shelves Friday costs 990,000 won for the 64 GB model and 1.2 million won for the 256 GB edition, hovering above 782,000 won set for the U.S. and 780,000 won for Japan. 

Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 8, regarded as the iPhone X's biggest rival, is offered at 1.09 million won for the 64 GB and 1.25 million won for the 256 GB. 

However, the price tags could be lowered when consumers receive a subsidy from wireless providers. The nation's telecom companies offer a subsidy worth around 100,000 won for the iPhone 8. 

If they opt for a 25 percent monthly discount on their cellular bill instead of the subsidy, the devices could be sold at 1.07 million won for the 64 GB version and 1.22 million won for the 256 GB. Last month, the government raised the discount rate of monthly mobile phone rates from 20 percent to 25 percent to help cut mobile costs. 

The iPhone X was released last week in 55 countries, including the U.S. , Japan and China. 

However, it is unknown when the smartphone will arrive in Korea. 

The iPhone X is equipped with a 5.8-inch high-end OLED screen, unlike the LCD screens Apple used in earlier iPhones. The device is unlocked through facial recognition software, and the iPhone's signature home button has been removed.