Pixel War: Nexus One vs Sensation 4G

[fasst27]

For those interested in the screen on the HTC Sensation, welcome. It is gorgeous!

I did some shots of my two phones. My Nexus One (AT&T, not that it matters) and my new Sensation 4G.

Some basics on my shots:
Phones' Screen Brightness: 100%
Website view: Eyeballed to match equal size :-\
Website: 500px / Photo "Iggy" by Keith Trauner
Close ups: 100% crop, using Canon 20D & backward 50mm 1.8f lens. Handheld, so definitely not a good scientific study.

Added: Simply a size comparison. The screen brightness on the two phone are different, add in a background and it becomes washed out. However, the Sensation matches my computer the best (2008 Aluminum MacBook 13", no color calibration). But if you had a Nexus One, you'd know that the AMOLED display is notorious for over saturated colors.

Nexus One:

Sensation:

Anywho, back to what you were doing.

 

[Droid800]

Caption for the first photo:

Sensation: Grandpa!
N1: Sonny boy! You're so big!

 

[junglejunkie]

How is the screen outdoors compared to the Nexus One? I figure that it may be a bit more washed out.

 

[fasst27]

How is the screen outdoors compared to the Nexus One? I figure that it may be a bit more washed out.

I wouldn't call it breathtaking. But the screen is slightly brighter. I'll post photos later today.

One small and silly complaint: the power button is very narrow and is sometimes hard to feel. The location is also different. Nexus One's is on the top left, Sensation on the top right. Maybe I just need to get used to it.

 

[fasst27]

Ok, so the outdoors photo is not a good test since I had to shoot at an angle (Sensation's screen changes slightly when at an angle (i.e. not an IPS screen)) to properly show the differences in brightness.
However, note that you can see just a tiny bit more detail on the car using the Sensation.

Another thing I wanted to note is that I've noticed that the Nexus One's screen has a blueish tint compared to the Sensation. This is apparent when looking at whites and grays. As a photographer, I am very pleased with the more accurate colors of the Sensation.

 

[Bendroid55]

Maybe I'm weird, but I like the Nexus One screen better.

 

[vladk.ru]

Maybe I'm weird, but I like the Nexus One screen better.

Same. That white GTI looks washed out on the Sensation.

 

[u83rp5ych0]

the pictures dont do it any justice. You really have to see it in person to appreciate it. I went from my nexus one to the sensation and the screen is just amazing. Whites are whiter, blacks blacker, and the colors just all around better.

 

[Droid800]

Same. That white GTI looks washed out on the Sensation.

I don't see that at all. And having had a Nexus 1, I would take a Sensation's SLCD over the N1's awful AMOLED screen. (yeah, I said it) You don't really realize how bad the AMOLED screen is until you use something like an SLCD or an IPS screen.

 

[dflores]

Same. That white GTI looks washed out on the Sensation.

I was thinking the same. Need to see it in person now.

 

[Mainspring]

Same. That white GTI looks washed out on the Sensation.

I have a different take on it.

I think the screen on the Sensation is more accurate.

not washed out but show better detail in lighting. look at the light reflections off the car and that wood frame on the back...

 

[wes008]

Maybe I'm weird, but I like the Nexus One screen better.

Same I'm sure in the end the Sensation screen is better, but just from these photos the Nexus One seems much clearer.

 

[fasst27]

Same I'm sure in the end the Sensation screen is better, but just from these photos the Nexus One seems much clearer.

It is a fallacy of photographing two screens at once. I don't have the equipment to measure the brightness of the two screens and get them to match. Thus, since the Sensation's screen is slightly brighter and appears more washed out. Maybe I should photograph them separately to show image quality.

I really just wanted to show that the gray colors on the Nexus has a slight blue tinge (compare the frame behind the car). The Sensation's image is much more pleasing in my opinion. The resolution is gorgeous!

 

[jwrobel1#AC]

Maybe I'm weird, but I like the Nexus One screen better.

It's weird how the "Thank you" button works. Just wanted to agree with you on that. From these pics the N1 screen is better.

 

[Droid800]

It's weird how the "Thank you" button works. Just wanted to agree with you on that. From these pics the N1 screen is better.

Here's the thing though; it actually isn't. The N1's screen is by far a worse screen. It has a blue tinge, its color reproduction is awful, and the quality of the screen is subpar. The higher resolution of the Sensation, the better color reproduction, and the overall quality of the screen, are just better than anything the N1 has to offer.

 

[mroldan9]

Having come from a N1 to a Sensation i can honestly say the Sensation screen is far better. Don't get me wrong, i'd rather have the N1 over the Sensation solely for the stock Android, but as far as overall screen performance the Sensation has an obviously better quality.. my 2 cents

 

[junglejunkie]

I have to chime in too for everyone that is on the fence about this phone. I also came from a N1 and I completely agree that the screen is worlds better than my Nexus's screen.

I have to thank fasst for going through all the effort in posting the comparison screenshots. Those don't do the Sensation ANY justice at all. The screen is georgous.

My wife has a Vibrant with a SMAOLED screen and she is envious of the Sensation because of the size and quality of the screen. The viewing angles aren't nearly as bad as I was expecting from all of the reviews I have read.

So my advice is if you haven't seen one in person then go do it, only then can you really appreciate how nice the screen is, and how solid the overall phone feels/looks.

Once this thing gets an unlocked bootloader and some custom ROMs then watch out....

 

[biggbrother2]

I watched a a couple of HQ videos side by side on my Sensation and my Nexus One and The N1 definitely had better blacks. The Sensation screen suffers from the same problem as many LCD TVs, where blacks actually look gray because you can see the light behind the panel. The N1 blacks look more like a plasma, very deep and natural. The N1 also has excellent viewing angles.

The Sensation has a bigger screen and higher res so obviously things will look better and bigger. However, I think the N1 does a better job of "tricking" the user into thinking it's a better image than the spec actually say.