Samsung brought massive improvements to the displays with the Galaxy S24 series. The screens on all three phones in the lineup—Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra—are brighter and more power-efficient. The displays can reach a peak brightness of up to 2,600 nits. The screens on the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24+ can go as low as 1Hz, thanks to an LTPO panel. Samsung didn't talk about one feature that can reduce eye strain for sensitive eyes.
Galaxy S24 series displays have a higher PWM refresh rate
While Samsung didn't talk about it, the screens on the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra have a higher PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) refresh rate of 492Hz. This change was spotted by Android Central. That's more than double the PWM refresh rate of the screens on the Galaxy S23 series, which is 240Hz. While it isn't as high as 1920Hz or 2160Hz seen on some smartphones from Chinese brands, it is higher than the iPhone 15 Pro (480Hz) and the Pixel 8 (246Hz).
Some of you must be wondering about what the PWM refresh rate actually is. It is a mechanism used on OLED screens to make them appear brighter or dimmer. While OLED screens can get dimmer than LCD screens, they can only get there up to a certain point. PWM is then used to fill the gap. This results in a banding effect, which is usually visible on low brightness levels. However, on some phones, the banding can appear even at high brightness settings. This banding effect can sometimes be seen in photos and videos that you capture of a phone's screen. This banding can induce eye sickness in some people. To reduce eye sickness for people with sensitive eyes, the PWM refresh rate needs to be higher.
So, if you are among those with sensitive eyes and can notice banding, the Galaxy S24 is an improvement over the Galaxy S23 series, thanks to a higher PWM refresh rate. If you aren't among those with sensitive eyes, this improvement might not mean much. The screen on the Galaxy S24+ also received a resolution bump to QHD+, increasing pixel density and screen sharpness.
