The display is the biggest consumer of energy, so every milliwatt saved significantly extends the overall runtime. And the larger the display, the more it feels. Display power consumption is affected by three variable factors: the amount of time the display stays on, the brightness of the display, and, depending on the technology, whether the image is bright or dark.
Turn off the display by time
A disabled display consumes no power. It should be turned off immediately after you have looked at the information you need, but not too quickly. Timed display lock options are found in Settings | Screen | Auto-lock". The most convenient period is 30 seconds.
Moderate display brightness
In harsh daylight conditions, the screen may not be bright enough, but in room lighting, the same brightness is dazzling and wastes battery power (see diagram on the right). Many devices have automatic brightness control enabled by default. If this is not the case on your device, enable this option and check if you can lower the brightness level using the slider (“Settings | Display | Brightness”).
On various devices on which tests were carried out in the CHIP edition, the brightness was comfortable in the region of 33%. To adjust the brightness, you can quickly call up a menu with options for quick access by swiping from the top edge of the display to the middle.
Another recommendation for (AM)OLED-based displays used on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and many other high-end smartphones: OLED creates an image using individual pixels that emit light, so dark areas of the image consume less power.
Advice: Set your wallpaper to a black or dark image and set your apps to a dark background color. For example, the Firefox browser add-on Dark Background and Light Text displays websites with light fonts on a dark background.
OLED displays consume less power when they display a dark picture. Browser add-ons that display website content in light fonts on a dark background are useful.
Many devices have automatic brightness control enabled by default. Otherwise, turn it on and see if you can lower the brightness level.
Liquid crystal displays behave in the opposite way: depending on the brightness settings, the backlight always requires a lot of energy, but dimming individual sub-pixels requires a little additional power. That is, a pure white or very bright picture saves energy - though much less than a black or dark background on an OLED display.
Before the mass adoption of smartphones, when buying phones, we evaluated them mainly by design and only occasionally paid attention to functionality. Times have changed: now all smartphones have approximately the same capabilities, and when looking only at the front panel, one gadget can hardly be distinguished from another. The technical characteristics of devices have come to the fore, and the most important among them for many is the screen. We will tell you what lies behind the terms TFT, TN, IPS, PLS, and help you choose a smartphone with the desired screen characteristics.
Matrix types
Three technologies for the production of matrices are mainly used in modern smartphones: two are based on liquid crystals - TN + film and IPS, and the third - AMOLED - on organic light emitting diodes. But before we start, it is worth talking about the acronym TFT, which is the source of many misconceptions. TFT (thin-film transistor) are thin-film transistors that are used to control the operation of each sub-pixel of modern screens. TFT technology is used in all the types of screens listed above, including AMOLED, so if somewhere it is said about comparing TFT and IPS, then this is a fundamentally wrong question.
Most TFT matrices use amorphous silicon, but TFT on polycrystalline silicon (LTPS-TFT) has recently been introduced into production. The main advantages of the new technology are the reduction of power consumption and the size of transistors, which makes it possible to achieve high pixel densities (more than 500 ppi). OnePlus One became one of the first smartphones with an IPS display and a LTPS-TFT matrix.
Smartphone OnePlus One
Now that we have dealt with TFT, let's go directly to the types of matrices. Despite the wide variety of LCD types, they all have the same basic principle of operation: the current applied to the molecules of liquid crystals sets the angle of light polarization (it affects the brightness of the subpixel). The polarized light then passes through a light filter and is colored in the color of the corresponding subpixel. The first to appear in smartphones were the simplest and cheapest TN + film matrices, the name of which is often abbreviated to TN. They have small viewing angles (no more than 60 degrees when deviated from the vertical), and even with small inclinations, the image on screens with such matrices is inverted. Among other disadvantages of TN-matrices are low contrast and low color accuracy. To date, such screens are used only in the cheapest smartphones, and the vast majority of new gadgets have more advanced displays.
The most common technology in mobile gadgets now is IPS technology, sometimes referred to as SFT. IPS-matrices appeared 20 years ago and since then have been produced in various modifications, the number of which is close to two dozen. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting among them those that are the most technologically advanced and are actively used at the moment: AH-IPS from LG and PLS from Samsung, which are very similar in their properties, which even was the reason for litigation between manufacturers . Modern IPS modifications have wide viewing angles that are close to 180 degrees, realistic color reproduction and provide the ability to create displays with a high pixel density. Unfortunately, gadget manufacturers almost never report the exact type of IPS matrices, although when using a smartphone, the differences will be visible to the naked eye. Cheaper IPS matrices are characterized by fading of the picture when the screen is tilted, as well as low color accuracy: the image can be either too “acidic” or, on the contrary, “faded”.
As for power consumption, in liquid crystal displays it is mainly determined by the power of the backlight elements (LEDs are used in smartphones for this purpose), so the consumption of TN + film and IPS matrices can be considered approximately the same at the same brightness level.
Matrices created on the basis of organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) are completely different from LCDs. In them, the subpixels themselves, which are subminiature organic light-emitting diodes, serve as a light source. Since there is no need for external illumination, such screens can be made thinner than liquid crystal. Smartphones use a variation of OLED technology, AMOLED, which uses an active TFT matrix to drive sub-pixels. This is what allows AMOLEDs to display colors, while conventional OLED panels can only be monochrome. AMOLED matrices provide the deepest blacks, since it only requires completely turning off the LEDs to “display” it. Compared to LCDs, these matrices have lower power consumption, especially when using dark themes, in which the black areas of the screen do not consume power at all. Another characteristic feature of AMOLED is too saturated colors. At the dawn of their appearance, such matrices really had an implausible color reproduction, and although such “childhood sores” are long gone, most smartphones with such screens still have a built-in saturation setting that allows you to bring the image on AMOLED closer in perception to IPS screens.
Another limitation of AMOLED screens used to be the unequal lifetime of LEDs of different colors. After a couple of years of using a smartphone, this could lead to sub-pixel burnout and afterimage of some interface elements, primarily on the notification panel. But, as in the case of color reproduction, this problem is long gone, and modern organic LEDs are designed for at least three years of continuous operation.
Let's summarize briefly. The most high-quality and brightest image at the moment is provided by AMOLED matrices: even Apple is rumored to use such displays in one of the next iPhones. But, it should be borne in mind that Samsung, as the main manufacturer of such panels, keeps all the latest developments for itself, and sells “last year's” matrices to other manufacturers. Therefore, when choosing a smartphone not from Samsung, you should look towards high-quality IPS screens. But in no case should you choose gadgets with TN + film displays - today this technology is already considered obsolete.
The perception of the image on the screen can be influenced not only by the technology of the matrix, but also by the pattern of subpixels. However, with LCDs, everything is quite simple: in them, each RGB pixel consists of three elongated subpixels, which, depending on the modification of the technology, can be in the form of a rectangle or a “tick”.
Everything is more interesting in AMOLED screens. Since in such matrices the subpixels themselves are the light sources, and the human eye is more sensitive to pure green light than to pure red or blue, using the same pattern in AMOLED as in IPS would degrade color reproduction and make the picture unrealistic. An attempt to solve this problem was the first version of the PenTile technology, which used two types of pixels: RG (red-green) and BG (blue-green), consisting of two subpixels of the corresponding colors. Moreover, if the red and blue subpixels had a shape close to squares, then the green ones looked more like strongly elongated rectangles. The disadvantages of this pattern were "dirty" white color, jagged edges at the junction of different colors, and at low ppi - a clearly visible grid of the subpixel substrate, which appears due to too much distance between them. In addition, the resolution indicated in the characteristics of such devices was “dishonest”: if an IPS HD matrix has 2,764,800 subpixels, then an AMOLED HD matrix has only 1,843,200, which led to a visible difference in the clarity of IPS and AMOLED matrices with the naked eye. seemingly the same pixel density. The latest flagship smartphone with such an AMOLED matrix was the Samsung Galaxy S III.
In the Galaxy Note II smartpad, the South Korean company made an attempt to abandon PenTile: the device's screen had full-fledged RBG pixels, albeit with an unusual arrangement of subpixels. However, for unclear reasons, Samsung subsequently abandoned such a pattern - perhaps the manufacturer faced the problem of further increasing ppi.
Samsung has returned to RG-BG pixels in its modern screens with a new type of pattern called Diamond PenTile. The new technology made it possible to make the white color more natural, and as for the jagged edges (for example, individual red subpixels were clearly visible around a white object on a black background), this problem was solved even easier - by increasing the ppi to such an extent that the bumps were no longer noticeable . Diamond PenTile has been used in all Samsung flagships since the Galaxy S4.
At the end of this section, it is worth mentioning another picture of AMOLED matrices - PenTile RGBW, which is obtained by adding a fourth, white, to the three main subpixels. Before the advent of Diamond PenTile, such a pattern was the only recipe for pure white, but it never became widespread - one of the latest mobile gadgets with PenTile RGBW was the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 tablet. Now AMOLED matrices with RGBW pixels are used in TVs, because they do not require a high ppi. To be fair, we also mention that RGBW pixels can also be used in LCDs, but we are not aware of examples of the use of such matrices in smartphones.
Unlike AMOLED, high-quality IPS matrices have never experienced quality problems associated with sub-pixel patterns. However, Diamond PenTile technology, together with high pixel density, allowed AMOLED to catch up and overtake IPS. Therefore, if you are picky about gadgets, you should not buy a smartphone with an AMOLED screen, which has a pixel density of less than 300 ppi. At a higher density, no defects will be noticeable.
Design features
The variety of displays of modern mobile gadgets does not end with imaging technologies alone. One of the first things that manufacturers took up was the air gap between the projection-capacitive sensor and the display itself. This is how the OGS technology appeared, combining the sensor and the matrix in one glass package in the form of a sandwich. This gave a significant breakthrough in image quality: the maximum brightness and viewing angles increased, color reproduction was improved. Of course, the thickness of the entire package has also been reduced, allowing for thinner smartphones. Alas, the technology also has drawbacks: now, if you break the glass, it is almost impossible to change it separately from the display. But the quality advantages still turned out to be more important, and now non-OGS screens can only be found in the cheapest devices.
Recently, experiments with the shape of glass have also become popular. And they began not recently, but at least in 2011: HTC Sensation had a glass concave in the center, which, according to the manufacturer, was supposed to protect the screen from scratches. But such glasses reached a qualitatively new level with the advent of “2.5D screens” with glass curved at the edges, which creates the feeling of an “infinite” screen and makes the edges of smartphones smoother. Such glasses are actively used by Apple in their gadgets, and recently they have become more and more popular.
A logical step in the same direction was the bending of not only the glass, but also the display itself, which was made possible by using polymer substrates instead of glass ones. Here the palm, of course, belongs to Samsung with its Galaxy Note Edge smartphone, in which one of the side edges of the screen was curved.
Another way was proposed by LG, which managed to bend not only the display, but the entire smartphone along its short side. However, LG G Flex and its successor did not gain popularity, after which the manufacturer abandoned the further production of such devices.
Also, some companies are trying to improve human interaction with the screen, working on its touch part. For example, some devices are equipped with sensors with increased sensitivity, which allow you to work with them even with gloves, while other screens receive an inductive substrate to support styluses. The first technology is actively used by Samsung and Microsoft (formerly Nokia), and the second by Samsung, Microsoft and Apple.
The future of screens
Do not think that modern displays in smartphones have reached the highest point of their development: technology still has room to grow. One of the most promising are quantum dot displays (QLED). A quantum dot is a microscopic piece of a semiconductor in which quantum effects begin to play a significant role. Simplified, the process of radiation looks like this: the impact of a weak electric current causes the electrons of quantum dots to change energy, while emitting light. The frequency of the emitted light depends on the size and material of the dots, so that almost any color in the visible range can be achieved. Scientists promise that QLED matrices will have better color reproduction, contrast, higher brightness and lower power consumption. Partially, quantum dot screen technology is used in Sony TV screens, and prototypes are available from LG and Philips, but there is no talk about the mass use of such displays in TVs or smartphones.
It is also highly likely that in the near future we will see in smartphones not just curved, but also fully flexible displays. Moreover, almost ready for mass production prototypes of such AMOLED matrices have been around for a couple of years. The limitation is the electronics of the smartphone, which is still impossible to make flexible. On the other hand, large companies can change the very concept of a smartphone by releasing something like the gadget shown in the photo below - we just have to wait, because the development of technology is happening right before our eyes.
Day after day, many of us spend dozens of hours staring at the screens of our mobile devices. The most important display parameter, brightness, not only affects the battery consumption rate of our smartphones, but it is also one of the most common causes of eye fatigue. Today we have prepared a list of six Android apps that will help you prevent eye fatigue and extend the battery life of your phone or tablet.
Cobrets (short for Configurable Brightness Preset) is a free app that allows you to switch between different brightness presets using a small (1×1 size) home screen widget. Cobrets has several predefined brightness modes: Minimum (8%), Quarter (25%), Medium (45%), Maximum (100%), Auto, Night, and Day.
You can edit the minimum brightness values for modes: minimum, Cuarter, medium and maximum. Auto mode uses Android auto brightness settings. Night mode sets the brightness to zero and applies a black translucent filter to the screen area, so you get a brightness level even lower than the system default. Finally, Day mode uses a yellow filter superimposed on the display to make it easier on your eyes. Cobrets allows you to manually change the brightness level and settings of the applied filters, including filter colors and opacity levels. Cobrets gives you the ability to directly enable or disable any of these modes, so you don't have to switch between them all.
In some cases, when your device's display is faulty, you can use this application to correct the displayed colors. However, given the price of the displays, it might be easier to change it. For example, the price of the original display for Prestigio from Mobilife is quite affordable. The display can be replaced both in the service center and on your own.
IntelliScreen is a free application that allows you to adjust the screen timeout based on device position, lighting conditions, and currently running applications. The app will first ask you to set the normal screen timeout value, which will be the default. With IntelliScreen you can set any time interval, even exotic values like 2 minutes 15 seconds. You can then set individual application rules. It is possible to keep the screen always on while an app is running in the foreground, or set a screen timeout for each app.
IntelliScreen also lets you use your device's sensors to control screen timeout. You can completely disable the timeout when you hold the device in a certain position (portrait or landscape orientation), which is determined using the accelerometer. You can also use the light sensor. This allows you to automatically turn off the screen when you put your device in a dark place (such as in your pocket), and turn on the screen when the device is exposed to light. However, this option is only available if you decide to upgrade to the premium version of IntelliScreen (€1.99).
Finally, you can choose when your settings are applied: always or only when the device is docked in a car dock, desktop dock, or plugged into a charger.
Lux Auto Brightness is a popular Android application that allows you to easily adjust the screen brightness to the optimum level, thereby reducing eye strain and saving battery life. Lux Auto Brightness is a small slider pop-up that is used to adjust the brightness.
The most interesting feature of Lux Auto Brightness is the ability to not only create abstract profiles such as "Night" and "Day", but to adjust the display settings according to a certain, actual ambient light intensity. By default, Lux Auto Brightness will only adjust the brightness level when the device wakes up, so you won't be distracted by changing screen brightness. However, you can change this behavior and choose from several tuning modes: Ascending, Periodically Dynamic, or Manual.
The Lux Auto Brightness app is available in two flavors. There is a free version of Lux Lite which includes the most important uses. If you like the app, you can purchase the full version of Lux Auto Brightness for $3.80.
Night Mode is a very simple application that will override your system's display settings so that you can dim your screen to below normal levels. Night Mode uses a filter overlay that acts as a dimmer to dim the screen so it's comfortable on the eye. This is especially useful when you're using your phone in low light environments, such as at the cinema or theater. Night Mode is a free app without any built-in ads.
Twilight is an application that adjusts the color temperature of your device's display according to your current location and time of day. Twilight is based on the idea that overexposure to bright blue light can trigger the secretion of the hormone melatonin at night, thereby causing an inability to fall asleep. Bright blue light sources, such as natural sunlight or LED displays, inhibit the production of melatonin in the brain, which signals the body to start the day. The program filters the blue spectrum of your mobile phone or tablet display and protects your eyes with a soft red filter. The application allows you to adjust the color temperature and intensity, as well as the value of the screen backlight level.
Velis Auto Brightness is an application that gives you full control over the automatic brightness settings on your Android device. When launching Velis Auto Brightness for the first time, a simple seven-step wizard will guide you through the initial setup.
The program's main screen displays a customizable curved graph of ambient light brightness on the x-axis, and screen brightness on the y-axis. Drag the red handle to change the brightness of the screen under different ambient light levels. You can save multiple settings at once as different profiles.
There are many other parameters that you can adjust using Velis Auto Brightness. You can create a list of applications that will not apply existing settings, change the sensitivity of the sensors, and so on. Some additional features (Tasker support, Widget) are available as premium content through an in-app order.
The display is the most important part of a smartphone. Obviously, when choosing a device, the buyer is often guided by this parameter as well. In our today's review, we will try to choose the top 10 smartphones of 2017, which will include both hi-end class devices and mid-budget models.
In our review, we will give two parameters that clearly characterize the display matrix. The first is Sun Clarity, which measures how well the image is seen in bright sunlight. The bigger it is, the better. The second is the color deviation, showing how far the colors are from ideal color reproduction. A smaller value corresponds to better color rendering. The rest of the parameters speak for themselves. Let's clarify that the smartphones are located in a random order.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
- Clarity in the sun: 4.15
- Color deviation: 3.1
- Diagonal: 6.3 inches
- Resolution: 1440p+
- Brightness: 647
- Contrast: infinite
Firstly, this is the largest screen on the top smartphone market, which is very comfortable to work with. The smartphone also has excellent performance in direct sunlight and color accuracy, which is typical for Super AMOLED matrices. The S Pen is unique in that it allows you to write and sketch. Its convenience was appreciated by many users. Also, the smartphone can be connected to the DeX-station, which allows you to work with it as with a regular desktop PC, which will appeal to some travelers. Of course, you also need a monitor, but it may well be replaced by a TV in a hotel. The Always On option is another nice feature of the smartphone: it allows you to view notifications without touching the device.
Apple iPhone X
- Clarity in the sun: 5.01
- Color deviation: 1.9
- Diagonal: 5.8 inches
- Resolution: 1125p+
- Brightness: 679
- Contrast: infinite
OnePlus 5T
- Sun clarity: 4.79
- Color deviation: 2.3
- Diagonal: 6.0 inches
- Resolution: 1080p+
- Brightness: 437
- Contrast: infinite
OnePlus bribed its customers with a reasonable price and excellent features. With the OnePlus 5T, the company decided to move away from the standard 5.5-inch screen and enlarge it, stretching it along the way: the aspect ratio is now 18:9. The smartphone has become taller, but it has not increased in width. Despite the accessibility, the screen of this device is quite good. Visibility in the sun is better than the Galaxy Note 8 and the same as the Galaxy S8. The screen isn't as bright, but the low light reflectance does the trick. OnePlus has also added support for DCI-P3, and now the color reproduction of the smartphone is comparable to that of top devices from Samsung. It should be noted that the smartphone has a resolution of 1080p +, but despite this, there are no problems with sharpness.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
- Sun clarity: 3.99
- Color deviation: 1.4
- Diagonal: 5.5 inches
- Resolution: 1080p
- Brightness: 539
- Contrast: infinite
The Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro has a very good screen. The smartphone in its price range is our favorite. Its Super AMOLED display has excellent color reproduction - one of the best of any smartphone, not just on this list. Visibility in the sun is also one of the best. The J7 Pro is a regional model, but it has an alternative: the Galaxy J7 has similar visibility in the sun and slightly worse color reproduction.
Motorola Moto Z2 Force
- Sun clarity: 3.88
- Color deviation: 3.8
- Diagonal: 5.5 inches
- Resolution: 1440p
- Brightness: 559
- Contrast: infinite
Most smartphones use tempered glass as a screen protector, but Motorola decided to take full advantage of plastic - it will not crack if the smartphone is dropped. Of course, the display is more prone to scratches, but this is easily solved by installing the cheapest protective film or glass. Also, the smartphone is protected from water splashes. It's not worth submerging it, but it will survive most water incidents (Motorola is known for its conservative approach to its ratings).
Razer Phone
- Sun clarity: 2.328
- Color deviation: 2.0
- Diagonal: 5.7 inches
- Resolution: 1440p
- Brightness: 300
- Contrast: 1195:1
There is a popular genre of reaction games, which is any game in which success or failure depends on how fast your reaction is. Basically, these are third-person shooters and fighting games, which are currently the most popular games. Most hardcore gamers will tell you that a 60Hz screen doesn't suit their needs. The Razer Phone has a unique 120Hz screen (unique apart from the iPad Pro). The screen also supports a wide color gamut. Streaming mobile games on Twitch is gaining popularity, so this smartphone will come in handy for those who cannot imagine their lives without mobile gaming with streaming games online.
Meizu Pro 7 Plus
- Clarity in the sun: 4.15
- Color deviation: 4.2
- Diagonal: 5.7 inches
- Resolution: 1440p
- Brightness: 453
- Contrast: infinite
We want to add something weird to our list because our hero comes with a second screen. We're talking about the second screen on the back that the Meizu Pro 7 Plus is equipped with. This small AMOLED screen under the dual rear camera can be used to take selfies with the main camera. Many smartphones have a good selfie camera, but none of them can match the quality of the main dual 12-megapixel camera of this device. Also, this display can be used as a screen for notifications, a scoreboard for music control buttons and a step counter.
And interesting features hidden from prying eyes.
Why are they hidden? Firstly, so that an inexperienced user does not break anything, and secondly, they are needed in especially rare cases and are not used regularly. Today we will talk about the engineering menu - a section for programmers, testers, geeks, experienced users and those who want to get into the very "heart" of the gadget's settings.
What is the engineering menu?
This is a special program or system partition, which developers usually use at the final stage of configuring the software platform of a mobile device. With it, they make the latest changes to the operation of the device, check the functioning of various sensors and perform testing of system components. Also, the hidden functionality of the service menu is used to obtain a large amount of system information, conduct various tests (about 25 pieces) and configure any Android parameters - various sensors, mobile networks, equipment, etc.
The engineering, service or system menu is available on smartphones and tablets running on a MediaTek processor. On the Qualcomm chipset, it is either cut down or absent altogether.
Attention! This section is intended for advanced users who are fully responsible for the consequences. Careless actions can harm the file system and disable the smartphone.
How to enter the engineering menu?
To enter the engineering menu, you need to enter a special command in the dialing application: *#*#3646633#*#*. On some versions, the code *#*#4636#*#* or *#15963#* may work.
If the engineering menu code on Android did not work, or there is no dialing application on the phone (relevant for tablets that do not support calls), the MobileUncle Tools or MTK Engineering applications, which can be downloaded for free through Google Play, will help.
After entering the command or launching the application, the desired section will open. Perhaps it will immediately close - you need to have "Developer Mode" activated on your smartphone. To do this, go to the gadget settings, find the kernel version there and quickly click on it 5-10 times in a row.
Engineering menu functions
The engineering menu is divided into several categories, each of which will be discussed separately.
- Telephony. Here are all the settings related to mobile communications. For example, you can activate or deactivate certain BandModes (frequencies for 2G / 3G / 4G operation), check the operation of SIM cards, and even turn off mobile data transmission in the background.
- Connectivity: Configure Bluetooth, radio, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi CTIA settings. For example, in the radio settings, you can specify the radio wave, the type of antenna (you need to use headphones) and the sound format (mono or stereo). The radio will play directly from this section.
- Hardware Testing. In this section, you can configure the operation of various components of the device, in simple words, hardware: headphone and speaker sound levels, microphone sensitivity settings, various camera parameters (photo aspect ratio, ISO, HDR, focus and much more), touchscreen operation, sensors (calibration immediately) and so on. This category is very large and global, in each section you need to understand separately and have serious knowledge and skills.
- Location (Location). In this category, you can configure the GPS operation, see how many satellites the gadget has caught, and simply conduct tests.
- Log and debugging (Log and Debugging). Here, logs (logs) of the battery (charge percentage, voltage, operating time, temperature) and other little-known functions are kept.
- Others. It contains two functions that are also unknown to the average user.
Engineering menu settings
The engineering menu opens up huge opportunities for setting up the phone, we will consider the most interesting ones in detail.
- SAR Test - determination of the level of harmful radiation from a smartphone or tablet.
- Connections - testing available types of wireless connection: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WLAN CTIA and FM receiver.
- Audio - control the sound in the speakers, microphone and headphones. How to increase the volume of Android through the engineering menu,.
- Camera - Set up various camera settings.
- Turning on the current camera - the indicator of the working current of the camera is displayed (in our tablet it is 2 mA).
- Load test of the CPU (central processing unit) - checking the stability of its operation, identifying errors in the operation of the processor-memory channel, testing the cooling system and power supply of the processor.
- Device Manager - Activate SMS auto-registration, manage configuration settings.
- Disable detection - setting the frequency of the signal.
- Display - Sets the Pulse Width Modulation rate cycle, which affects the perceived brightness of the screen by rapidly turning the backlight on/off; backlight setting; controller behind the vertical and horizontal lines of the display.
- Wake mode - activating it will not allow the device to "go" into sleep mode.
- IO - control of data input/output operations.
- Memory - detailed information about the RAM module.
- To the degree - detailed information about the battery (the strange title of the section is most likely due to errors in the automatic translation of names in the application, but there is no possibility to switch to English).
- SD card test - the name of the tab speaks for itself.
- Touch screen - test the sensitivity and reaction of the display when pressed, as well as set its additional settings.
- USB - testing the operation of the USB port.
- UART/USB switch - switching between two modes of data transfer.
- Sensor - calibration (setting the clarity and sensitivity) of the touch screen. Standard Methods.
- Location - Test GPS performance and determine the exact location.
- Battery log - Detailed information about the battery and the ability to activate the recording of information about the battery consumption.
- MTKLogger - collection of system logs (MobileLog, ModemLog and NetworkLog).
- Temperature gauge - shows the battery and processor.
- Parameter font - change the font size.
When installing the application, some features may not be available without .
Xiaomi engineering menu
Despite the fact that our test Redmi 2 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, it also has the functionality we are interested in. To enter it, you need to tap on the "Kernel version" item several times in a row.
The menu is represented by five items:
- automatic test. Automatic test of all device parameters.
- Single Item Test. Each of the 25 tests is taken separately. We will discuss this in detail below.
- test report. Report on the passed texts and their results.
- SW add HW version. Information about the version of the smartphone, IMEI and other numbers.
- deviceview. Smartphone hardware data.
Of course, the most interesting point is the Single Item Test, where you can pass a huge number of tests.
Let's make a reservation right away that in the device we tested it was not possible to configure something - only a performance check. At the end of each procedure, its status should be noted: successful (success) or not (failed).
- Key - operability of physical buttons. It is interesting that it was not possible to pass it successfully, because when checking the power button, the smartphone goes out.
- Backlight - display brightness.
- touch panel. The touch screen test includes two procedures: "Crossed calibration" and "Touch panel calibration". The first checks the so-called "swipes", the second - single taps on the screen. An easy way to calibrate your display.
- TFlash. Testing a memory card with two results: either everything is in order, or the card is damaged.
- bluetooth. It searches for available devices.
- SIM card. SIM card test.
- vibration. The gadget vibrates - everything is ok.
- RTC (Real Time Clock) - operation of the built-in clock.
- Speaker. Conversational speaker testing. How to pass it, we did not understand. We will be grateful if you tell us in the comments.
- Receiver. It is translated as a receiver, recipient, but music plays during testing.
- Headset. Testing the 3.5mm jack for headphone detection, audio playback, and support for headset control buttons.
- LED. Notification indicator, everything is obvious here.
- FM (radio). We press the search for a wave (Search), and if noise is heard in the headphones, then everything is working properly.
- camera. Everything is obvious: a test of the main and front optics, as well as a flash.
- battery. An informative section with information about the correct operation of the USB cable (charging), battery status, its charge level and temperature. Similar data can be obtained more.
- WiFi. Detection of nearby access points. There are no settings.
- Torch (flashlight): shines / does not shine.
- The loopback test includes a speaking microphone test. First, click Recording (record), then Playing (playback).
- LCD. Screen colors.
- GPS. Finding available satellites.
- Gyro (gyroscope). Three parameters - X, Y, Z - change depending on the position of the device in space.
- G-sensor (Accelerometer). Twist the gadget in all planes and turn it over. Three parameters should take values ok.
- Proximity Sensor (proximity sensor). It is usually located near the speaker and is designed to turn off the screen of the gadget during a conversation, thereby eliminating accidental clicks.
- Optical and Magnetic Sensor (optical and magnetic sensors) - items that are incomprehensible to us, share your knowledge in the comments.
After passing all the tests, you can go to the Test Report section. As you can see, our "animal" is in great shape and passed all the tests, which is very pleasing.
findings
Above, we have listed the main sections of the engineering menu available on the tested devices. Now let's summarize what features the user gets during installation:
- Formatting, resetting to factory settings.
- Testing the operation of individual elements of a smartphone or tablet, such as sensors, touch screen sensitivity and calibration accuracy.
- Detailed information about the device and its parts. For example, you can track the battery consumption since the last charge and view the statistics of the programs used.
- Energy optimization. As an option, unnecessary frequency ranges are turned off. In Russia, the standard indicators for working in 2G and 3G networks are 900 and 1800 MHz, while in the USA - 850 and 1900 MHz.
