Know the big three and what can you do to make your phone’s screen last longer.
Did you experience weird display issues before? Scared what might happen to the OLED screen of your current phone? Stop that anxiety and learn what things that make phone screens degrade quickly and how to prevent them.
Disclaimer: A display naturally degrades over time. Its quality depends on the material used and the manufacturer. Tips in this article are only designed to extend a display’s lifespan. Read with caution.
Brightness
The screen is the window to your phone’s “personality” and to see it clearly, you need to ramp up the brightness. But keep in mind that long periods of full brightness lead to several consequences, including the wear and tear of the display panel.
| Factor | Effect |
| Temperature | High brightness raises the phone’s overall temperature |
| Power Consumption | High brightness consumes a lot of power |
| Blue Light | High brightness strains your eyes |
If you’re going outside, enable auto-brightness instead to let the phone raise the brightness level based on ambient light. This way, you don’t have to manually turn it up or down.
It’s also recommended to keep the phone away from sunlight, as much as possible, during use. Sunlight warms the device and if you combine that with high brightness, expect your phone to overheat.
Keeping the brightness level at 50% or lower will significantly cut down the phone’s temperature and extend its battery life and display lifespan.
LCD Backlight Bleed
LCDs are still popular among gadgets, not just smartphones. While it’s recognized for displaying great whites, it has many cons like the backlight bleed.
Backlight bleeding happens when light appears to be leaking or bleeding from edges of your phone’s display. It’s a normal thing for LCDs, whether TFT or IPS, and is commonly caused by:
- Excessive force applied to your phone can cause bleeding. Accidentally sitting on it or squeezing it into a tight pocket can create so much pressure on the screen.
- Dropping or hitting your phone by accident can damage the screen’s surface and the impact can cause bleeding.
- Spills, splashes, and submersion into water can damage the phone’s internal, including the LCD panel.
A severe case of LCD backlight bleeding means screen replacement. Thankfully, LCDs are cheaper than their OLED counterparts.
For minor cases, you can just turn off the phone and give the LCD a few hours of rest. Another is applying gentle pressure on the screen and the back of the phone. Massaging may help move the panel’s film and reduce the bleeding. Though, too much pressure during a massage can worsen the issue.
OLED Screen Burn-in
Amazing blacks and color accuracy, OLEDs are the automatic choice for flexible smartphones or those with curved displays. Since OLEDs use organic compounds, they are prone to a phenomenon called screen burn-in.
A screen burn-in is a visible mark on the display that stays there no matter what you do. While accidental damage can also result in a burn-in, other known causes include:
- Temperature: Remember sunlight? Heat causes OLEDs to age much faster than normal, degrading their quality.
- Power Usage: Didn’t we say keep the brightness low as much as possible? High brightness needs more power and that means consistent high currents passing through the OLED, degrading their quality.
To avoid burn-ins, you must maximize the upsides of an OLED panel. Use Dark Mode and apply a black wallpaper. If that’s too dull, don’t use static wallpapers. Although the phone’s battery will drain quicker, wallpapers with moving elements can lower the risk of burn-ins.
This is the reason why AFKing isn’t recommended on OLEDs unless your phone has a tool that puts a black overlay during gaming.
Keep in mind that OLEDs are more expensive. Screen replacement, especially curved ones, is pricey.
Cleaning
Littered with oils, prints, and smudges? Cleaning is essential to make your phone’s screen last longer too! You also need to sanitize it because your hands transfer microbes to your phone whenever you touch it.
The most common method to clean a smartphone safely is using a microfiber cloth and alcohol. Don’t douse the liquid! Use a spray bottle and just spray twice on the cloth. Gently wipe the screen and phone’s body to get rid of that rubbish and kill off microbes.
A bit of warning though. If you’re using a tempered glass, alcohol may remove the oleophobic coating on it. Also, be careful not to put excessive pressure on the display, physical buttons, and ports.
For the phone case, remove it from your phone and clean it using dish soap and tap water. Put a small drop of dish soap and gently scrub it with a tiny brush (an old toothbrush works). Brush the insides too! Then, rinse it with tap water.
Make sure that the phone case is totally dry before attaching it to your phone.
Protection
Environmental hazards and accidental drops are inevitable. That’s why it’s recommended to use a phone case and install screen protection. A screen protector is the cheapest option for the display but it’s not going to protect your phone from impact.
Invest in a tempered glass to shield the main screen from accidental drops. If the phone case is a meh, buy a sturdy one. Consider getting a special phone case or a universal phone bag to protect your phone from water. This is handy during the rainy season or outdoor adventures.
Final Thoughts
Screen protection, temperature, and brightness level are the big three on the overall display health. Meanwhile, regular screen cleaning and use of a phone case can help maintain the flair and beauty of your smartphone.
Recognizing these and maintaining them can make your phone’s screen last longer and extend the overall lifespan of your device.
