The Fairphone 4 arrived on the market in October 2021, and as ever, the manufacturer’s aim is to produce an environmentally friendlier, user-reparable device that provides the kinds of high-end features that consumers expect. Let’s take a look at how well it performed in our Display protocol tests.
Key display specifications:
- 6.3-inch IPS LCD display
- Resolution: 1080 x 2340 (410 ppi)
- Aspect ratio: 19.5:9
- Maximum refresh rate: 60 Hz
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 750 5G (8 nm)
About DXOMARK Display tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone and other display reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective and perceptual tests under controlled lab and real-life conditions. This article highlights the most important results of our testing. Note that we evaluate display attributes using only the device’s built-in display hardware and its still image (gallery) and video apps at their default settings. (For in-depth information about how we evaluate smartphone and other displays, check out our articles, “How DXOMARK tests display quality” and “A closer look at DXOMARK Display testing.”)
Test summary
Scoring
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Fairphone 4
87
display
58
Samsung Galaxy S24+
Best: Samsung Galaxy S24+ (163)
121
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Best: Google Pixel 8 Pro (164)
139
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
Best: Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon) (162)
112
Honor Magic6 Pro
Best: Honor Magic6 Pro (159)
93
Samsung Galaxy S24+
Best: Samsung Galaxy S24+ (170)
79
OnePlus Open
Best: OnePlus Open (163)
Please be aware that beyond this point, we have not modified the initial test results. While data and products remain fully comparable, you might encounter mentions and references to the previous scores.
Position in Global Ranking
170
th
2. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
155
7. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
152
11. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
149
11. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
149
11. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
149
16. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
148
16. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
148
20. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
146
23. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
145
28. Samsung Galaxy A55 5G
141
30. Honor Magic4 Ultimate
140
43. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
136
46. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
135
51. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
134
51. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
134
51. Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
134
51. Vivo X80 Pro (MediaTek)
134
58. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
133
58. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
133
58. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
133
58. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
133
65. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
131
65. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
131
69. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
130
76. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
129
76. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
129
85. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
128
85. Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
128
85. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
128
90. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
127
97. Vivo X70 Pro (MediaTek)
125
97. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
125
113. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
123
113. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
123
113. Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G
123
118. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
122
118. Motorola Edge 30 Pro
122
124. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
120
128. Motorola Edge 40 Pro
118
131. Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
117
135. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
116
140. Motorola Edge 20 Pro
111
140. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
111
144. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
110
150. Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming
107
152. Nubia RedMagic 6 Pro
105
153. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
104
161. Microsoft Surface Duo
99
163. Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
97
164. Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G
95
172. Samsung Galaxy A22 5G
74
173. Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
69
175. Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro
60
Position in High-End Ranking
35
th
15. Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G
123
16. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
122
17. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
120
23. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
111
26. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
110
28. Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming
107
30. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
104
Pros
- Brightness well suited for indoor conditions
- Pleasant HDR10 video rendering
- No visible flicker
Cons
- Too bright in low-light conditions and unreadable under sunlight
- Strong loss of brightness and contrast when viewed on angle
- A noticeable orange cast in all tested conditions
The Fairphone 4 has good brightness in indoor conditions, but otherwise has below-average readability and color reproduction. Lacking smoothness, it is not well suited for gaming, but it is good for watching HDR10 videos.
Brightness vs Contrast comparison (0 Lux)
Brightness vs Contrast comparison (30 000 Lux)
While the Fairphone 4 is too bright in low-light environments, including when the blue light filter (BLF) is on, the device has good readability indoors and can be read outdoors in shade.
Readability indoors, from left to right: Fairphone 4, OnePlus 9, Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G, Nokia 8.3 5G
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
When viewed under sunlight, content on the Fairphone 4 is difficult to read.
Readability under sunlight, left to right: Fairphone 4, OnePlus 9, Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G, Nokia 8.3 5G
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
Whether indoors and outdoors, colors on the Fairphone 4 display have an orange cast that becomes more pronounced on angle.
Color rendering outdoors in shade, clockwise from top left: Fairphone 4, OnePlus 9, Nokia 8.3 5G, Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
The left-hand chart below shows the Fairphone 4’s color fidelity in the P3 color space. The center of each circle is the target color; the further the tip of the arrow is outside of the circle, the more users will notice the difference between the color on the display and the original color of the source material. In the scatter chart on the right, each dot represents a measurement taken at a discrete angle and distance from the device showing a full white pattern. The Fairphone 4 shifts into orange on angle.
Fairphone 4, color fidelity at 1000 lux in the P3 color space
Fairphone 4, scatter graph of white point on angle
The photo arrays below illustrate the color shift toward orange measured in the scatter chart above.
Indoor color rendering on axis (top) and on angle (bottom), left to right: Fairphone 4, OnePlus 9, Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G, Nokia 8.3 5G
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
The Fairphone 4 is good for watching HDR10 videos, with very good brightness in low light and well-rendered dark details. A pink to orange cast is visible on content, including on skin tones, but the rendering is acceptable.
Video color, clockwise from top left: left to right: Fairphone 4, OnePlus 9, Nokia 8.3 5G, Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
The Fairphone 4 shows a few frame drops at 30 fps and when playing FHD 60 fps videos, but no frame drops are visible when playing video games. The device does not manage motion blur well, and sometimes the device pauses before resuming video playback after moving in the timeline.
The Fairphone 4 is quite accurate when zooming in the gallery app, but the device lacks smoothness regardless of the use case.
Given its screen’s LCD technology, the Fairphone device has no problems with flicker:
Temporal Light Modulation
This graph represents the frequencies of lighting variation; the highest peak gives the main flicker frequency. The combination of a low frequency and a high peak is susceptible to inducing eye fatigue. Displays flicker for 2 main reasons: refresh rate and Pulse Width Modulation. This measurement is important for comfort because flickering at low frequencies can be perceived by some individuals, and in the most extreme cases, can induce seizures. Some experiments show that discomfort can appear at a higher frequency. A high PWM frequency (>1500 Hz) tends to be safer for users.
Although it handles judder very well, the Fairphone 4 is not suitable for a comfortable gaming experience, with touch lacking precision in corners and the device being too responsive to ghost touches. Furthermore, aliasing is noticeable.
Fairphone 4, closeup of aliasing
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
Fairphone 4, closeup of aliasing
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
Fairphone 4, closeup of aliasing
(Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only)
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