OLED Burn-In Test: iPhone X vs Galaxy Note 8

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Korean website Cetizen has conducted an OLED burn-in test comparing the iPhone X and the Galaxy Note 8.

The iPhone X is perhaps the hottest phone of the season, selling millions of handsets powered with their innovative Face ID technology. However, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 has also performed incredibly well – correcting the sins of its exploding predecessor to deliver an all-around excellent Android phone.

Apple has only just recently started using OLED displays for their iPhone screens, but one main issue with OLED technology is burn-in. In an OLED burn-in test conducted by Cetizen, however, it appears as if Apple’s hard work to avoid this issue has paid off. The iPhone X was less susceptible to the problem when compared to the Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 8 from Samsung.

OLED burn-in is a major problem with an otherwise excellent display technology. OLED screens are some of the best on the market, and deliver beautiful quality that truly adds to the luxury smartphone experience. Because Apple has strived to maintain a certain level of quality with their phones, they were slow to adapt this technology. However, Apple announced that they would work diligently to reduce OLED burn-in with the iPhone X, and it appears as if the company has done just that.

A huge 510-hour test in which a stationary image was loaded on all three phones led to some OLED burn-in on all three of the tested devices, but the iPhone X performed most favorably. Surprisingly, the Galaxy Note 8 was actually the worst offender, with significant OLED burn-in after just 62 hours. The older Galaxy S7 Edge performed much better, but the iPhone X was far and away the winner of this test. The iPhone X did show some amount of OLED burn-in after just 17 hours of image display, but it had the advantage over its companions in that the problem didn’t get any worse throughout the entire 510-hour testing.

The Apple Advantage

Some burn-in with OLED devices is to be expected, and it’s pretty unavoidable. However, the fact that a minor burn-in on the iPhone X stayed static and didn’t worsen gives the phone major marks when compared to its competitors. While minor burn-in won’t significantly affect the performance or usability of a phone, having a display with the remnants of an image overlayed constantly can definitely getting annoying and distracting over time. The lack of OLED burn-in in the iPhone X on its own likely isn’t enough of a reason to choose the phone over its competitors, but it’s another example of Apple’s commitment to solid design and construction with each flagship.

Although Apple has received a significant amount of negative PR as of late due to the “batterygate” slowing of older iPhones, there’s no doubt that their devices are meticulously crafted and a worthy competitor to any other phone out there. The Apple vs Android debate may never stop, but when it comes to OLED burn-in, Apple’s iPhone X reigns supreme.

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