LTPS screens

What are they?

If you’ve been following Computeractive’s reviews recently, you’ll know that we tend to rate OLED screens over IPS panels. In OLED screens each pixel is lit individually and controls its own brightness, providing superb contrast. IPS screens are lit constantly from behind, and this is blocked or filtered by each pixel. LTPS (lowtemperature polycrystaline silicon) screens are also lit from the rear, but they’re much better at it, giving higher resolutions and using less power. This makes them ideal for laptops, such as the Huawei Matebook 14s (£999 from www.snipca.com/44690, reviewed Issue 650, pictured above).

How do they work?

The crystals used to make each pixel in a LTPS screen have a different molecular structure to those in IPS models. This means pixels can be smaller, which leads to those higher resolutions and lower energy use. They also have wider viewing angles and better contrast than IPS screens.

What are their specs?

LCD is the technology behind many different types of screen, including LTPS, IPS, VA and TN. Some manufacturers may describe their screen as LCD if they’re trying to hide the fact that it’s VA or TN, which are less powerful than LTPS and IPS. If a screen is LTPS, the specifications should say so.

Can I change one later?

You can get replacement screens for smartphones and laptops, and you may be able to install an LTPS panel for an existing device. However, replacement screens tend to be expensive, and the quality of third-party replacements often isn’t as good as the original display, so you shouldn’t switch unless your screen is broken.