Mobile Display Specs Explained: Nits, Refresh Rate, AMOLED, LTPO and More
Nits measure how bright a phone screen can get, which decides how readable it is in Pakistani sunlight. Hz is how many times per second the screen refreshes, LTPO is a power-saving technology that lets the refresh rate drop as low as 1Hz, and AMOLED, OLED and POLED are all self-lit panels that beat IPS LCD for contrast. This guide explains every display term on a spec sheet in plain words.
Updated 24 October 2026
What is nits in mobile display?
A nit is a unit of brightness, one candela per square metre. The higher the number, the brighter the screen can get. Brightness matters a lot in Pakistan, where you read maps on a bike in afternoon sun or check WhatsApp outdoors in summer.
Spec sheets list different kinds of nits, and they are not the same: - Typical brightness: what the screen shows in normal use indoors, often 400 to 600 nits - HBM (high brightness mode): what the screen reaches in direct sunlight with auto brightness on, often 800 to 1,800 nits - Peak brightness: the maximum for a small part of the screen, usually when playing HDR video. Numbers like 3,000 or 4,500 nits are peak figures
So a phone advertised at 4,500 nits will not show the whole screen that bright. For outdoor use, compare HBM figures where you can. As a rough guide, 1,000 nits or more in HBM is comfortable in sunlight, while budget LCD phones at 500 to 700 nits can be hard to read at midday.
Refresh rate: 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz and 144Hz
Refresh rate is how many times per second the screen draws a new image. A 120Hz screen updates twice as often as a 60Hz screen, so scrolling Facebook, TikTok and menus looks smoother. - 60Hz: basic. Still on some budget phones and base iPhones up to the iPhone 16. - 90Hz: a clear step up, common on budget Android phones - 120Hz: the standard on mid-range and flagship phones, and on the iPhone 17 - 144Hz and above: mostly gaming phones; only a few games support it
Touch sampling rate is a different number. It is how often the screen checks for your finger, and it matters for gaming response. A high refresh rate uses more battery unless the phone can lower it when the image is still, which is where LTPO comes in. Browse 120Hz mobiles (120Hz Mobiles).
What is LTPO display in mobile?
LTPO stands for Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide. It is a type of display backplane, the layer that controls each pixel. Its benefit is that the screen can change its refresh rate smoothly, from 120Hz when you scroll down to 10Hz or even 1Hz when you look at a still photo or the always-on display.
Why it matters: - Better battery life, because the screen is not refreshing 120 times a second when nothing moves - Always-on display without much drain - Smooth 120Hz when you need it
You will find LTPO on flagships such as the iPhone 17 series, Galaxy S Ultra and S models, Pixel Pro models, OnePlus and Honor flagships. A spec like '1-120Hz adaptive' usually means LTPO. A phone listed simply as '120Hz' may switch between a few fixed steps instead, which saves less power.
AMOLED vs Super AMOLED vs OLED vs POLED vs IPS
These names cause the most confusion: - OLED: the general technology. Each pixel makes its own light, so blacks are truly black and contrast is excellent. - AMOLED: Active Matrix OLED, the type used in phones. In practice OLED and AMOLED on a phone mean the same thing. - Super AMOLED and Dynamic AMOLED 2X: Samsung's names for its AMOLED panels, with the touch layer built in and, on Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+ and adaptive refresh. - POLED or pOLED: Plastic OLED, an OLED on a flexible plastic base instead of glass. Motorola and LG used the name. So for 'AMOLED vs POLED', the picture quality is similar; the difference is the base material, which allows curved and folding screens. - Super Retina XDR: Apple's name for its OLED screens. - IPS LCD: a backlit LCD panel. Cheaper, with good colours but greyer blacks and lower contrast, common on budget Infinix, Tecno, Redmi, Realme C and Vivo Y phones.
For most buyers, the choice is simply OLED of any name versus IPS LCD. See AMOLED mobiles (AMOLED Mobiles).
Resolution and pixel density
Resolution is the number of pixels, written as width x height: - HD+ (around 720 x 1600): budget phones; text looks slightly soft on bigger screens - FHD+ (around 1080 x 2400): sharp enough for nearly everyone - 1.5K (around 1220 x 2700): a step above FHD+, common on newer mid-range phones - QHD+ (around 1440 x 3120): flagship sharpness, often running at FHD+ by default to save battery
Pixel density, measured in PPI, tells you how sharp the screen is for its size. Above about 400 PPI, most people cannot see individual pixels at normal distance. A 6.7 inch HD+ screen looks noticeably less sharp than a 6.1 inch FHD+ screen. Resolution matters less than panel type and brightness in daily use.
PWM dimming, eye comfort and HDR
PWM (pulse-width modulation) is how many OLED screens dim themselves: they flicker on and off very fast instead of lowering the power. Most people do not notice, but some get headaches or eye strain at low brightness. Brands now advertise high-frequency PWM, such as 1,920Hz or higher, or DC-like dimming, to reduce this. If you are sensitive to flicker, look for a high PWM figure or try the phone at low brightness during your checking period.
HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision mean the screen can show HDR video from Netflix and YouTube with brighter highlights. Colour depth (8-bit or 10-bit) and DCI-P3 coverage describe how many colours the screen can show; 10-bit and wide colour help photo and video editors.
Screen protection names such as Gorilla Glass Victus or Gorilla Armor are about strength, not picture quality.
What actually matters when choosing a phone screen
A simple checklist for Pakistan: - Panel: choose AMOLED or OLED if you can; IPS LCD is fine on a tight budget - Brightness: look for high HBM brightness if you are outdoors a lot - Refresh rate: 90Hz minimum, 120Hz ideal; LTPO if battery life matters - Resolution: FHD+ or 1.5K is enough - Eye comfort: high-frequency PWM if you use the phone at night - Size: bigger screens are better for videos but harder to use one-handed
Every model page on our site lists display type, size, resolution, refresh rate and brightness in the specs table. Our stock is Non PTA and Non Custom box pack, plus used Non PTA iPhone 11 to 15 units, and every order has a 7-day checking warranty to test the screen at home. For more terms, see the mobile phone glossary (Mobile Phone Glossary: Every Spec and Pakistani Market Term in Plain Words).
