Android
Laminated vs. Non-Laminated Screens: What’s the Difference?
Browsing tablets and unsure what “laminated” and “non-laminated” mean? Read on to find out.
Published on
By
There are a ton of terms you need to be familiar with when evaluating tablet specs, but an often overlooked spec is the screen construction and whether you want a laminated or non-laminated screen. While both styles are equally valid, we think there’s one clear winner in the laminated vs. non-laminated screen comparison.
Laminated screens are standard on most tablets these days, and it’s not hard to see why. They offer many advantages over the traditional non-laminated construction methods that all users can appreciate, including better image quality and brightness. But they’re also essential for artists, as reducing parallax error makes for more accurate and pleasurable drawing.
Thankfully, laminated screens are almost standard across most tablet price ranges, so most of you won’t have to deal with the issues of non-laminated screens anymore—with one exception. Sadly,Apple’s iPad 10still has a non-laminated screen, which is a shame on a $400 tablet. Beyond that, however, you’re likely only to see non-laminated screens onbudget-friendly tablets, where the downsides are a lot more palatable.
The Basics
Tablet screens consist of three parts:
“Laminated” and “non-laminated” refer to the construction method for tablet screens and how manufacturers combine these parts. Let’s discuss non-laminated screens first before moving on to their laminated counterparts.
Non-Laminated Screens
A non-laminated screen construction is where the display is separate from the glass and digitizer (which are bonded together). This creates a visible air gap between the top glass and digitizer combination and the actual display, whether an IPS, TFT, or OLED panel.
There are several pros to going with non-laminated screens. For one, non-laminated screens arecheaperto produce, which can help keep costs down on lower-end tablets. Secondly, the separate construction helps withrepairability: you should be able to replace only the glass or the display if either of the two elements breaks or suffers damage without buying a whole new screen.
However, while these are valid advantages, non-laminated screens have several noticeable issues. One of the most notable ones isparallax error, where the physical location of your input differs from what shows up on the screen. Parallax is a major issue when using pens and styluses, which is why many of thebest stylus-equipped tabletshave laminated screens.
Other disadvantages of non-laminated screens include the potential fordust ingressin between the glass and display,reflectionsbetween the display and glass (which reduces image quality), and ahollowsound and feel when tapping on the screen. The latter doesn’t affect performance but can make a tablet feel much less premium than it should. There’s also the simple fact that non-laminated displays arethicker, which in turn means that the tablets must also be thicker.
Read More:How We Review Hundreds Of Tablets
Laminated Screens
Laminated screens, in contrast, have no air gap. Instead, a fully laminated construction bonds the display, digitizer, and glass seamlessly via a process calledoptical bonding. Laminated displays are essentially one solid unit, which affords them several noticeable advantages over the old-fashioned non-laminated construction.
Laminated screens havebetter image qualityand arebrighter, as there’s no gap for light to bounce around. The lack of a gap between the glass and display alsoreduces parallax errors, as your input is much closer to the display than it would be in a non-laminated screen. Lamination also eliminatesdust ingressbetween the glass and display whilereducing thicknesscompared to their non-laminated counterparts.
While laminated screens certainly have a lot of positives going for them, they’re not perfect. For one, laminationincreases costs, which manufacturers invariably pass on to the consumer. Secondly, laminated screens areharder to repair, if not outright impossible. Since the screen is one solid unit, damage to one element usually requires you to buy a whole new replacement display, even the other screen elements are perfectly functional.
Before You Go
If you really wanted the best display, then you should consider getting an OLED screen. Take a look at this article:
Top 7 Best Tablets with OLED Display
*THIS ARTICLE MIGHT CONTAIN SPONSORED LINKS. WE MIGHT GET A SMALL COMMISSION ON YOUR PURCHASE AT NO EXTRA CHARGE TO YOU.
9 Best Free Sports Streaming Apps for Android & iPad in 2024
Best Step Counter Apps for Android | 2024 Edition
Pingback:Laminierte vs. nicht laminierte Displays: Was ist der Unterschied?
Pingback:Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Review: Why It Beats Most Competitors
Pingback:Wishlist To Apple: Why There Should Be An iPad Mini Pro • MyNextTablet
Pingback:Lenovo Tab M11 Review: Great Bargain, But One Thing Bothers Me • MyNextTablet
Leave a ReplyCancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.Learn how your comment data is processed.
MyNextTablet.com is 100% funded by its readers.In many of our reviews and guides, you’ll find so-called affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. The price remains the same for you, and you’re supporting independent reviews and independent journalism.Learn more.
The Best Amazon Fire Tablets Compared | 2024 Edition
If you’re in the market for the best Fire tablet, we’ve got your back! Here’s a comprehensive comparison of all…
Top 7 Best Tablets Under $500 | 2024 Edition
Looking for the best tablet under $500? We test almost every tablet and here are our test winners in this…
Best Huawei Tablets: Why I Think You Shouldn’t Get One In 2024
Considering the US embargo that led to the lack of Google support, is it a wise decision to purchase a…
11 Best Tablets With 5G, 4G LTE & SIM Card Slot in 2024
Which are the best tablets with 5G, 4G LTE and SIM card slot? I’m reviewing almost every tablet and here…
11 Best Gaming Tablets for Playing Games Reviewed | 2024 Edition
Which are the best gaming tablets for gamers? We test every new device and try out many games. Here are…
Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro Review: A Strong Galaxy Tab S9+ Alternative?
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite 2024 Review: The Truth About This S Pen Tablet
Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro Review: Great Gaming Tablet At A Budget
Lenovo Tab Plus Review: The Best Tablet For Music Lovers?
Onyx Boox Note Air 3c Review: Color E-Ink Tablet With Great Pen
OnePlus Pad 2 Review: Better than Samsung and Apple?
Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE 8.7 Review: Cheap Hidden Gem For 2024?
Honor MagicPad 2 Review: Brighter Than All Samsung Tablets
