Pixel 2 XL screen color

[anony_mouse]

"The Pixel 2 XL's 6-inch screen sports a sharper, 2880 x 1440-pixel resolution. This panel registered a slightly lower 130 percent of the color gamut, but its colors are just about as accurate on paper. The Pixel 2 XL's display scored 0.26 on the Delta-E error test (0 is perfect), and the Pixel 2 hit 0.29." https://www.tomsguide.com/us/google-pixel-2-pixel-2-xl-review,review-4755.html

Thanks for quoting the original article - that makes it much easier to check and discuss the actual claims. I read the article in conjunction with https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/display-monitor-tv-screen-test,review-33032-3.html, which seems to explain their test methodology. It says it's for TV and monitors, but I assume they use it for smartphones as they don't appear to describe another method (please correct me if anyone knows better).

The text you quoted needs to read in conjunction with the paragraph above it in the original article. For the first claim, quoting a percentage of the sRGB is fine, but once you go above 100% it would be more useful to use a larger colour gamut (DCI-P3 is now common), and we also need to know the colour space that is used (hopefully CIE 1976, but sometimes still CIE 1931). I'm surprised that a supposedly serious website does not appear to understand these points.

The delta-E numbers are even more concerning. They don't actually say that 0.26 and 0.29 are delta-Es, they just say they are the results of the "delta-E error test". If we assume that they are actually delta-Es, we still don't know what colours they measured and what they represent - the white point? an average of various colour tests? the worst result they measured? To understand the overall accuracy of a device, we need to test the accuracy at various different colours (and preferably luminances too). Quoting just one figure suggests they don't understand what they are doing.

The numbers themselves are scarcely believable, if they really are delta-Es. As I said elsewhere, anything less than around 2.3 will not be seen by the human eye (the test methodology page quotes the number 3 as the threshold for perceptibility). Delta-Es of 0.26-0.29 are absolutely remarkable for displays that are presumably uncalibrated, and suggests that the displays are essentially perfect as far as any of us could actually tell! This seems extremely unlikely and again, probably indicates that these people do not understand what they are doing.

EDIT: regarding the colour gamut - does Android support rendering either graphics or video beyond sRGB?

 

[TraderGary]

I know that only ardent photography aficionados like me are going to shell out a grand for the best camera phone, another few grand for state of the art computers and displays, another few grand for professional photo gear, and yet another $258 for a quality colorimeter. But photography has been a lifelong passion for me, so I easily justify the expenditure to have the quality I want.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

The Pixels do support the DCI-P3 gamut as well as sRGB. Color profiles are supported natively by Android O and above.

 

[anony_mouse]

The Pixels do support the DCI-P3 gamut as well as sRGB. Color profiles are supported natively by Android O and above.

Thanks. It's shame those "experts" at Tom's Hardware Guide didn't bother to measure the percentage of P3 the Pixels can render. That would actually have been interesting.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

Thanks. It's shame those "experts" at Tom's Hardware Guide didn't bother to measure the percentage of P3 the Pixels can render. That would actually have been interesting.

The regular pixel 2 is 95% DCI-P3 and the P2 XL is 100%, according to XDA the P2XL average Delta E 2000 is 1.69 for DCI-P3. "The Pixel 2 XL renders photos very accurately overall, although slightly colder due to Google’s insistence on making the display feel “fresh”. When sharing media with friends, most displays do tend to have colder white points, so you can feel secure in knowing that the grayscale will appear similar, and that others viewing it within the same color space (which are almost all computers and laptops, and iPhones) will see the same photo."

 

[anony_mouse]

The regular pixel 2 is 95% DCI-P3 and the P2 XL is 100%, according to XDA the P2XL average Delta E 2000 is 1.69 for DCI-P3. "The Pixel 2 XL renders photos very accurately overall, although slightly colder due to Google’s insistence on making the display feel “fresh”. When sharing media with friends, most displays do tend to have colder white points, so you can feel secure in knowing that the grayscale will appear similar, and that others viewing it within the same color space (which are almost all computers and laptops, and iPhones) will see the same photo."

Thanks, very interesting.

Again, the delta-E numbers look wrong. If the display is actually slightly "cold" (presumably, blue) to any perceptible degree, the delta-E should be considerably higher. To be fair, they do say "average delta E 2000", which suggests they took more than one measurement at different points in the colour space, so they are well ahead of Tom's "experts".

BTW, there is a good reason why a manufacturer might choose to make a display render white a little bit "blue".

 

[Mike Dee]

I know that only ardent photography aficionados like me are going to shell out a grand for the best camera phone, another few grand for state of the art computers and displays, another few grand for professional photo gear, and yet another $258 for a quality colorimeter. But photography has been a lifelong passion for me, so I easily justify the expenditure to have the quality I want.

While I'm into photography as much as the next Pro-Am photographer I don't think you have to be to spend the money or justify it. I'm at the stage of my life where I have saved enough and make enough to not care if I overspend in most people's eyes. I'm going to buy what I want, when I want and not look back. I earned the right and I'm going to exercise it to the fullest. Spending it is half the fun.

 

[Nauga]

Originally Posted by TraderGary
I know that only ardent photography aficionados like me are going to shell out a grand for the best camera phone, another few grand for state of the art computers and displays, another few grand for professional photo gear, and yet another $258 for a quality colorimeter. But photography has been a lifelong passion for me, so I easily justify the expenditure to have the quality I want.
While I'm into photography as much as the next Pro-Am photographer I don't think you have to be to spend the money or justify it. I'm at the stage of my life where I have saved enough and make enough to not care if I overspend in most people's eyes. I'm going to buy what I want, when I want and not look back. I earned the right and I'm going to exercise it to the fullest. Spending it is half the fun.

Me, on the other hand. I'm just cheap.

 

[TraderGary]

While I'm into photography as much as the next Pro-Am photographer I don't think you have to be to spend the money or justify it. I'm at the stage of my life where I have saved enough and make enough to not care if I overspend in most people's eyes. I'm going to buy what I want, when I want and not look back. I earned the right and I'm going to exercise it to the fullest. Spending it is half the fun.

You said it better than I did, Mike. I'm 76 and I too have earned the right to have fun buying the tech I want whenever I want.

There's that old saying... Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional.

 

[Mike Dee]

Me, on the other hand. I'm just cheap.

Nah.... Just frugal

I'm not a Grand Father yet but I'm spending my grandchildren's inheritance in advance

 

[GSDer]

Had it not been for you guys I would not have learned that my Pantone X-Rite i1 Display Pro colorimeter could also be used to accurately color calibrate my Pixel 2 XL. Thank you!

Thanks for the analysis; sorry you wasted $2.50 on the app (I'd be willing to send you some compensation); glad you found out about the app for your colorimeter!

It would be really useful for you to post an official review of the app in the Google Play Store based on your assessment so that others don't end up flushing $2.50 down the drain for no real usefulness.

 

[TraderGary]

Thanks for the analysis; sorry you wasted $2.50 on the app (I'd be willing to send you some compensation); glad you found out about the app for your colorimeter!

It would be really useful for you to post an official review of the app in the Google Play Store based on your assessment so that others don't end up flushing $2.50 down the drain for no real usefulness.

Thanks for the reply. I wanted to see what the Pro offered and the 2.50 is nothing really.