AMOLED vs. QLED
Comparing 2 standards across 8 specifications. 8 key differences identified.
AMOLED (Active-Matrix OLED) combines OLED's self-emissive pixels with a TFT active-matrix backplane -- the same one-transistor-per-pixel driving concept as TFT LCD, but switching light-emitting diodes instead of liquid-crystal light valves. It's the dominant OLED format in smartphones, mass-produced by Samsung starting in 2007.
QLED, despite its OLED-like name, is not a self-emissive technology -- it's a conventional LED-backlit LCD panel with a quantum-dot film added between the backlight and the LCD layer to produce more precise color. Samsung introduced it in 2017; it still requires a backlight and has the same blooming limitations as other backlit LCDs.
Specification Comparison Table
8 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Backplane
|
TFT active-matrix (transistor per pixel) | — |
|
Primary Use
|
Smartphones (TVs more commonly use WOLED) | — |
|
Mass Production Start
|
October 2007 (Samsung) | — |
|
First Consumer Devices
|
2008 | — |
|
Underlying Technology
|
— | LED-backlit LCD (typically VA) + quantum-dot color-conversion film |
|
Self-Emissive
|
— | No -- requires a backlight, same as any other LCD |
|
Introduced
|
— | CES 2017 (Samsung) |
|
Not To Be Confused With
|
— | OLED (self-emissive, no backlight) |