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Samsung Galaxy S4 display looking good, expert says

Screen specs point to more natural-looking colors in the Samsung Galaxy S4 and other future Samsung phones.

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Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
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Samsung Galaxy S4
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If you're the type of person who cares about these things, you'll be happy to know that a screen expert gives the Samsung Galaxy S4 kudos so far.

In particular, Ray Soneira, president of display analysis and software calibration company DisplayMate, takes it as a good sign that Samsung includes something called a CIE Chromaticity Diagram and grayscale for the GS4's adaptive screen settings.

The bottom line? If the Galaxy S4 has extensive color, white point, and display calibration adjustments, it means that Samsung's phones can back away from the oversaturated, candied colors they often get due to the AMOLED screen technology. The varied spectrum indicates that whites could also look less blue than they have in the past, and more naturally pristine.

My colleague, CNET TV reviewer David Katzmaier, himself a screen fanatic, recently spent a lot of time playing with the settings on a Galaxy Note 2 and has some great insight of his own, including how to adjust settings to make colors more natural.

Samsung Galaxy S4 adapt display options
Various adjustment modes could mean that colors look less oversaturated than in the past. Click to enlarge. Samsung

It's still the early days when it comes to actual display performance, both indoors and outdoors, and Samsung screens, like on the Galaxy S3, are often so reflective they're hard to read outdoors. But good changes could be coming soon.

Note: CNET uses DisplayMate software in lab tests.

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