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The best phone displays in 2025

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Feb 03, 2025, 3:24 AM

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What constitutes a great phone display? Is it the high resolution and pixel density? These days, it seems that most phones have that figured out with crisp detail on most phones out there.

So is it about the high brightness and contrast that offer good outdoor visibility in the sun outdoors? That is certainly a competitive area as each year we are getting slightly brighter displays.

But then we have other considerations like color accuracy and calibration. Throw in dynamically-adjusted refresh rate based on the content displayed in the mix, and now, you've narrowed it down to only the best choices. We have rounded them right below.

Smartphones with the best quality displays:

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra — industry leading anti-reflective coating and excellent colors
iPhone 16 Pro Max — great color accuracy
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL — the brightest screen we have tested so far
OnePlus 13 — great quality display on a less expensive flagship

Flagship display quality comparison:

	Bright max(20%APL)Higher is better	Bright minLower is better	Color temp	Gamma	Delta E rgbcmyLower is better	Delta E grayscaleLower is better
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra	2373 (Excellent)	0.8 (Excellent)	6515	1.98	2.84 (Good)	5.56 (Average)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max	2088 (Excellent)	0.93 (Excellent)	6174	2.21	2.28 (Good)	5.66 (Average)
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL	2679 (Excellent)	1.9 (Good)	6731	2.26	1.39 (Excellent)	4.98 (Average)
OnePlus 13	2326 (Excellent)	1.8 (Good)	6742	2.3	1.64 (Excellent)	3.95 (Good)

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The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set(area)of colors that a display can reproduce,with the sRGB colorspace(the highlighted triangle)serving as reference.The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x:CIE31' and 'y:CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X displaya
1Hz-120Hz dynamic refresh rate
Resolution: 1440p
Pixel density: 498 ppi
Protection: Gorilla Glass Armor 2 (Anti-glare treatment for amazing outdoor visibility)
Active digitizer with S Pen stylus support

While the Galaxy S25 Ultra is not the "brightest" screen we have tested (the Pixel 9 Pro XL beats it for once), it is the only phone with Gorilla Armor 2, a clever anti-reflective screen coating that easily makes it the best phone to use outdoors.

The rest is all "standard" high-quality flagship screen stuff: 1440p resolution for a crisp 498 ppi pixel density, and dynamic 1Hz-120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling.

We also appreciate how Samsung thinned down the bezels a bit, giving users a slightly larger 6.9-inch display size than on the previous model.

iPhone 16 Pro Max

6.9-inch OLED display
Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology (adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz)
Resolution: 1320p
Pixel density: 460 ppi
Protection: Ceramic Shield (better protection against drops)

The iPhone 16 Pro Max display is similar in quality to the previous generation, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. We only wish it had the anti-reflective treatment of the Galaxy Ultra!

The one key improvement in the 16 series is that this newer display can go down to a minimum brightness of 1 nit, which helps tremendously with bedtime use. Previous iPhones could only drop to around 2 nits, and while that might sound like a small difference, it is a noticeable one.

Otherwise, you have excellent color accuracy and crispy clear detail, just as you would expect.

Pixel 9 Pro XL

Size: 6.8 inches
LTPO OLED with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and HDR10+
Resolution: 1344p
Pixel Density: 486 ppi
Aspect Ratio: 20:9
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2

The new Pixel flagship phone has a much improved quality compared to previous generations.

On a 20% white window, we measured brightness reaches nearly 2,700 nits (the official rating is 3,000 nits), the brightest on any phone we have tested so far. You don't get Samsung's excellent anti-reflective coating, but that boost in brightness certainly helps with outdoor viewing.

As with many phones, screen panels are sourced from multiple companies, so there might be some slight differences between units. For the Pixel 9, it's either a Samsung display or one made by BOE.

OnePlus 13

Size: 6.8-inch
Resolution: 1440p
Pixel Density: 510 ppi
Aspect Ratio: 19.8:9
Refresh Rate: Adaptive 1-120Hz
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Other features: 2160Hz PWM dimming for reduced eye strain

The OnePlus 13 delivers excellent display quality at a much lower price than other flagships.

It gets plenty bright, reaching levels similar to that of other flagships, and it uses high-frequency PWM dimming, so users who might have more sensitive eyes, will feel more comfortable using this screen.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.