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Poll: how important is QHD on smartphones?

androidpit lg g3 2k vs full hd
© nextpit

The LG G3 was announced this week, and already we’ve done a hands-on review, video, software features tour and comparison with the Galaxy S5. One of the unique aspects of the LG G3 is that it has a QHD display, which up to now has only come on a few smartphones. But how important is QHD?

encuesta
© NextPit

QHD stands for Quad HD, meaning that it has four times the pixels of a HD display with 720p. In the recent past, smartphones have had a Full HD display which is 1920 x 1080, like the Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, Xperia Z2 and more recent high end devices. QHD has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 resolution, and also called a 2K display. Next to the LG G3, the recently announced Oppo Find 7 also has a QHD resolution.

androidpit lg g3 2k vs full hd
At the LG G3 display, they compared QHD displays of the LG G3 against a Full HD TV screen. © NextPit

Next, it’s foreseeable that 4K displays will be coming next, however the technology isn’t there yet for smartphones. Even 4K TVs aren’t really of much use yet, though this is starting to change with more camcorders and smartphones being able to record 4K video, Netflix bringing 4K movies and TV shows to their catalogue, and even the FIFA World Cup in Brazil about to be filmed in 4K.

4K shutterstock 177223649
Can you tell the difference between Full HD and Ultra HD? © 4KTV / Shutterstock

Recently Huawei CEO Richard Yu said that QHD displays are stupid, because they are very bad for energy consumption and don’t offer anything in return because your eyes can’t see the difference. So, it seems that not everyone wants to jump on the QHD bandwagon.

The thing is though, when you are in this industry, it’s about bigger, better, badder, consumers are expecting the next big thing and LG delivered this with the LG G3, a beauty of a phone, with a dazzling 2K (QHD) display to offer breathtaking imagery.

lg g3 teaser
 © NextPit

So, how important is QHD displays to you? Do you think smartphones and tablets need such high resolutions or would you rather see them stick with Full HD and concentrate elsewhere? Answer in our poll or in the comments section below.

Do smartphones and tablets need QHD?
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Loie Favre

Loie Favre
Editor

Loie Favre found her way to her present passion for Android and smartphone technology after experiencing an epiphany when she held her Galaxy Note 2. From that point onwards, you can find her with her nose buried in countless Android apps and different smartphone models, and thanking her lucky stars that she gets to work at something she loves.

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17 comments
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  • 1
    DoubleDan Sep 3, 2019 Link to comment

    I think the companies have probably already chosen the correct path here by allowing the end user to enable their preferred resolutions via settings and performance modes. Do you need WQHD or QHD for general media consumption or phone "gaming"? Ehhh no, your eye is simply not going to pick up on the difference on such small screens. Just finished running a battery of comparisons on a 2 day old Note 10 Plus in all resolutions and modes then comparing results on a 4k monitor. The main benefits I'm seeing here are in a media creation/modification direction. If you are designing, drawing, editing, or in any other way CREATING the media at these depths of pixel density then the WQHD makes an incredible difference compared to UHD (1080p equiv). Anecdotal I know but hopefully that satisfies those that are asking "how best to handle the crazy increase in resolution as a technology compared to what the average consumer actually will use", to which the answer seems to be "make that junk as pixel dense as possible before it becomes cost-prohibitive to the end user, then give them a slider menu".


  • CJ Brown 29
    CJ Brown Jun 8, 2014 Link to comment

    As impressive as the HD displays are, I can't help but wonder if over 1020 pixels is going to drain the battery faster ..... unless there are better batteries being used


  • Homeworld Arts 4
    Homeworld Arts Jun 8, 2014 Link to comment

    as a game designer and pixel artist I'm pretty excited about the new resolutions. yes my old games will have to scale up, and won't look as good as they could... but the amount of detail I will be able to get in my new games will be an awesome change! I think Android gamers are going to love it too :-)

    Loie Favre


    • Loie Favre 33
      Loie Favre Jun 10, 2014 Link to comment

      It's nice to hear the opinion from a game designer. Is the process of creating graphics for higher vs lower resolutions much different?


  • 10
    Byron Garay Jun 3, 2014 Link to comment

    I dont think 2K displays are a need, or something that would radically change the way you see-use your smartphone, this are still small screens, and you would most likely notice it on a TV or Tablet, and in my opinion, for what many rant about Samsung not going for 2K is a bit smart, because u cant really notice a difference, you have less power consumption and thats the most important, battery life. In my Opinion.

    Loie Favre


    • Loie Favre 33
      Loie Favre Jun 10, 2014 Link to comment

      I think many people are on the same page as you Byron. I would rather have a more performing battery than a higher display resolution that I can't even see.


  • Feeso 2
    Feeso Jun 2, 2014 Link to comment

    I'm dumping samsung


    • Loie Favre 33
      Loie Favre Jun 10, 2014 Link to comment

      Who are you dumping Samsung for?


  • Bojan M. 23
    Bojan M. Jun 2, 2014 Link to comment

    These image comparisons are pointless. Regardless they can only be relative to another display and not absolute. It's easy to show that 1080p display provides less comfortable zoom than 2160p display, but that means absolutely nothing as 1080p displays already provide more than your phone needs. I say, give me any display and any image and I'll make the image look as sh*t on that display simply by zooming, which basically they did, acting smart, and fooling you into thinking 1080p technology sucks.

    Well, to each his/her own, but I'm trying holding myself down a bit and not wasting money on these phones. I must say it's really hard sometimes seeing they are all nice phones, 4k displays or not.


  • Carmelo Rivera 20
    Carmelo Rivera Jun 2, 2014 Link to comment

    If the picture of the parrot is 'true', then I'm sold because I can see the difference on my G2's 1080p display. The more pixels the sharper the image.

    Loie Favre


    • Loie Favre 33
      Loie Favre Jun 2, 2014 Link to comment

      It really is hard to tell with just a picture, I agree.


  • 14
    Saem Sarguroh Jun 1, 2014 Link to comment

    I dont understand the point when someone posts pictures giving side by side difference betweem QHD and HD. How would I be able to see the actual difference if my screen is 720p? I may be wrong but I am confused.
    I do feel that the difference between QHD and HD display is noticeable despite of what Huawei CEO says

    Byron GarayBabak Sanei


    • Kris Carlon 35
      Kris Carlon Jun 2, 2014 Link to comment

      Maybe I was sold on LG's G3 launch, but the point is legitimate: they reproduced the analogue resolution found in art books on a smartphone screen. No one says the quality of art books is overkill. In general usage (texting, reading, scrolling menus) you probably won't really notice, but when you look at hi-res stuff (photos, movies, games) it is incredible. Even if it is ''overkill'' it's not like the phone costs any more than it would without and if the optimizations (power/processor) are handled well then it won't slow things down either (even thought there's almost double the pixels to push)


  • 14
    Sean Stockemer Jun 1, 2014 Link to comment

    The picture of the parrot made me lol (I read you guys stuff on my phone as most do, I think). so I've got an hd picture to compare with a qhd picture that I'm viewing on my I-9300 (Samsung Galaxy S3) which barely has a 720p display. :-D
    overkill, yes... But for the love of Pete, I have to choose the biggest baddest hardware set I can find. The company pays for it. ;-)


    • Loie Favre 33
      Loie Favre Jun 2, 2014 Link to comment

      Thanks for your comment. I do agree that it is overkill, but most of the time, users want the best possible product.


  • 3
    Stuart Jun 1, 2014 Link to comment

    QHD is overkill in all honesty what's the point of it? Let's get stuff we can at least see and is useful.

    Byron Garay


    • Loie Favre 33
      Loie Favre Jun 2, 2014 Link to comment

      Agree!

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