We compare the Sony Xperia Z5, Samsung Galaxy S6, iPhone 6s and LG G4 displays to see which has the best screen for movies, web browsing, outdoor use and more.
Z5 vs S6 vs G4 vs iPhone 6s screen comparison: At a glance
|
Phone |
Apple iPhone 6s | LG G4 | Samsung Galaxy S6 | Sony Xperia Z5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 4.7-inch | 5.5-inch | 5.1-inch | 5.2-inch |
| Screen resolution | 750×1334 | 1440×2560 | 1440×2560 | 1080×1920 |
| Pixels-per-inch | 326ppi | 538ppi | 577ppi | 428ppi |
For playing games and web browsing, the G4 is a naturally attractive choice thanks to that spacious 5.5-inch panel. However, all four screens are comfortable and responsive for getting online and messing around with apps. But how do they stack up in terms of clarity, brightness and vibrancy?
Z5 vs S6 vs G4 vs iPhone 6s screen comparison: Image clarity
Although there’s a wide gap between the least sharp (iPhone 6s, 326ppi) and most sharp (Samsung Galaxy S6, 577ppi) displays on offer here, that difference isn’t directly obvious when actually using the phones. The iPhone 6s’ screen is still perfectly crisp for everyday tasks as well as watching HD movies and you’ll need to practically squash your face up against that panel to make out any individual pixels (not to mention have eyes like a cyborg).
That said, running 2K or 4K video content on all four phones at once, you can notice an improvement in clarity once you hit the G4 and S6’s Quad HD resolution levels. Finer details are more obvious, especially when the panels are wedged side-by-side. That means the G4 and S6 are more future-proof when super-high-res video streaming becomes a thing.
Z5 vs S6 vs G4 vs iPhone 6s screen comparison: Brightness and outdoor ease of use
Sony’s Xperia Z5 is the brightest panel here when all four are turned to maximum setting, making it the easiest to use outside under harsh glare. The Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6s are also quite powerful, coming joint second in our brightness test and proving equal to most unhelpful lighting. However, LG’s G4 screen could do with being brighter, occasionally proving difficult to make out when the sun is glaring.
We found that the G4 also had the poorest viewing angles here, with colours growing murky and brightness levels dipping as you tilt the screen away from your face.
Z5 vs S6 vs G4 vs iPhone 6s screen comparison: Colour range
The Galaxy S6 unsurprisingly boasts the most vibrant panel here, with colours standing out as rich and highly saturated on default display settings. Sony’s Xperia Z5 also throws out powerful, eye-pleasing colours (and the panel itself is a crisp white, without a yellowy tint) while the LG G4 comes close, although yellow tones occasionally appear as a yellowy green.
Meanwhile, Apple’s latest iPhone display is typically muted, with a more natural balance.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Sony Xperia Z5 screens can also be manually tweaked to your liking, so you can dial down the vibrancy if wished. In fact, the Galaxy S6 can even automatically adjust its display settings based on your current activity. Sadly you can’t manually adjust the G4 or iPhone 6s’ colour range.
In summary, all of the phones here have their own visual strengths and weaknesses. The G4 and S6 rock the most future-proof panels, with the S6 in particular standing out thanks to its rich, vibrant colours and automatic balance adjustment. The G4 disappoints for brightness levels and viewing angles, while the Z5 is another superb and attractive screen despite a lack of Quad HD visuals.
Check out our Xperia Z5 vs LG G4 vs Galaxy S6 vs Moto X Style camera comparison to see how the Xperia Z5 stacks up against its rivals for photos.
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