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Samsung S22, Pixel 6, & iPhone 13: Which one has the Best Screen?

December 10, 2021

This fall has been very fruitful for tech enthusiasts as iPhone and Google have unveiled their new flagships – iPhone 13 and Pixel 6 respectively. As it goes with announcements, Samsung will wait until the beginning of the year to announce their newest S22 series. There are various official information and also rumors surrounding this new arrival and people can more or less already have a clear picture of how the new series will look like.

For all of those visual lovers who are contemplating whether to buy the new iPhone 13, Pixel 6, or wait for S21 based on their screens, this text will deal with display (screen) qualities of all three models and will, hopefully, give a clearer picture (pun intended) about which one is the best.


Google Pixel 6

The dimensions of the Pixel 6 are not too contained, even though the diagonal of the screen is in a lower line than usual: its 6.4 inches are fattened by quite generous frames. While Pixel Pro offers a screen with curved edges, the regular Pixel 6 stays with straight edges.

The Pixel 6 screen boasts an AMOLED panel with a refresh rate of up to 90 Hz. The colors look vibrant, the contours of the elements on the screen are sharp, the contrast is very high and Google keeps the color temperature and saturation very well-calibrated. In addition, it lets you choose between several color profiles to adjust the reproduction to the user's tastes: natural colors (low saturation), enhanced (somewhat saturated), and adaptive (the Pixel 6 chooses the color representation according to the content).

The mobile is very fluid, the 90 Hz of refresh rate is greatly appreciated. The Pixel 6 allows this rate to be reduced to 60 Hz, although this gesture does not lead to excessive energy savings. In return, the interface at 90 Hz is fast, the jump between apps offers smooth animations and, in general, the applications also scroll smoothly. Yes, there are some ‘jumps’ in the vertical scrolling of some apps, such as Twitter. Navigating between tweets involves jumping in motion.

Automatic brightness is fine - it adapts well to ambient lighting and changes are quick. In addition, the maximum brightness makes it easy to use the phone outdoors with a minimum level that enables the use of the screen in twilight with hardly any discomfort (in complete darkness it can be somewhat uncomfortable to use).

It is a high-quality panel, with an immediate response that is at the level of an excellent phone. And that offers an element that is released in the Pixel and that has caused some controversy: the optical fingerprint reader under the panel.


Apple iPhone 13

Brighter 120Hz display and more capable graphics!

The screen of the iPhone 13 leveled up in several respects. Under the name of Super Retina XDR, this screen offers an average brightness of 800 nits in normal mode and peaks of 1200 nits of max brightness in HDR mode. Some improvements which will help us to see the content more clearly in all circumstances.

The other big improvement to the displays is the ProMotion mode. Thanks to this mode, the screen of the new iPhone 13 can reach refresh rates of up to 120Hz. The good thing about the system is that the screen does not maintain that rate continuously, with the consequent impact on the battery, but it adapts it dynamically and in real-time depending on what we are seeing or doing on our iPhone.

In the field of the screen, we must also mention the improvement in graphic power, which increases "up to 50% compared to any other smartphone". Thanks to this extra power, the iPhone can manage the new computer photography modes, among others. All of this is presented on 6.1 inches, which is a perfect size according to many users.


Samsung Galaxy S22

Now, the part that we’ve been waiting for.

It is still not 100% definite but the Galaxy S22 series' displays will be powered by Samsung's good old Super AMOLED. The refresh rate should start at 120Hz, although we may see even higher figures this generation. Many Chinese-made phones already offer 144 Hz!

Be that as it may, Samsung has hinted that the S22 phones will be smaller than their predecessors. While the Galaxy S21 came with a 6.2-inch screen, rumors suggest that the Galaxy S22 will come much smaller – a 6.06-inch screen, to be precise. What’s more, we can expect rounder corners and slimmer bezels as well, which will change the general appearance of the S series.

Bearing that in mind, smaller phones will require smaller batteries, therefore it will be unlikely that the refresh rate will go over 120 Hz. The standard S22 and S22 + are expected to offer Full HD + resolutions, as well as flat screens, as was the case with the S21 and S21 +. This will be empowered by a new collaboration between Samsung and AMD, as the new chipset will contain AMD's RDNA 2 graphics, the same one present in Xbox X and PlayStation 5! Combine fantastic graphics with ray-tracing technology and 120 Hz Full HD + display – you get magnificent picture quality.


Which one is the best?

While it is still somewhat uncertain how the new S22 display will look like, the current state of affairs suggests that the phone will be incredibly good (and its display equally good). If all of this comes to be true, the S22 will definitely be on top of the list of the best smartphones today.

In regards to these three displays, iPhone 13 and Samsung S22 will have a long battle over which one is the best. Apple has certain software advantages over all of the competition, while Samsung's new cooperation with AMD will bring much more hardware power. It remains to be seen but so far, we give Samsung a slight advantage. The Pixel 6 comes in third place, not much behind these two, especially considering the price.


Final words

Are you waiting for the new Samsung to come out? Based on all the information we have so far, the new S22 series will be magnificent. Many companies have already seen this potential and started making additional accessories and gadgets for these three phones.

If you have decided on buying the S22 phone, you can start with upgrading it even today with many products available, such as the smart case that enhances S22’s power!