Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face a situation where devices of the same model can be equipped with displays from different manufacturers. This is standard practice for optimizing supply chains, but the quality of the image, color reproduction and power consumption can vary significantly. Users want to know who exactly made their matrix – Samsung, LG, BOE or TCL, as this directly affects the subjective perception of the picture and the cost of replacing in the event of damage.
There are several ways to get this information, ranging from simple engineering codes that run on most firmware. MIUI and HyperOS, and ending with complex methods using ADB-It is important to understand that software methods do not always give a 100% guarantee if the manufacturer deliberately hid this data in the system logs, but in 90% of cases they allow you to accurately identify the supplier of the panel.
In this article, we will discuss all available diagnostic methods in detail, explain how to distinguish between types of matrices (AMOLED vs. IPS) software and what to look for when buying a device from hand. You will learn to read the technical specifications of your device without having to disassemble the case, which is especially important for maintaining factory moisture protection.
Using the Engineering Menu for Diagnostics
The fastest and most affordable method that does not require the installation of third-party software is the introduction of a special USSD-This code opens a hidden engineering menu that contains detailed information about your device's hardware, including display data. Enter the combination ##6484## on the dialing keyboard.
Once you enter the code, the CIT (Customer Information Test) menu automatically opens, and you need to scroll through the test list and find the item associated with the display, which can be called Display, Screen, Color Test or Version Information. Depending on the version of MIUI, the name of the item may vary, but the essence remains the same - searching for information about the version of the screen.
Clicking on the appropriate item, you'll see a technical string with the model code. It's the code that's the key to the solution. Often it looks like a set of letters and numbers, like S6E3FC3 or NT36672C. The first letters or character combinations point to the manufacturer. For example, codes starting with S6E are often Samsung's, and NT may point to Novatek or other controllers used by BOE or Tianma.
⚠️ Warning: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu unless you know exactly what they are responsible for. Resetting color calibration or changing the gamma parameters can lead to incorrect display of colors, which is difficult to fix without professional equipment.
To accurately decrypt the code, it is recommended to take a screenshot or take a screenshot and compare the resulting value with databases on developer forums (for example, 4PDA or XDA Developers), where enthusiasts collect statistics on which code corresponds to which manufacturer for a particular smartphone model.
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If the code doesn’t open in the standard combination, try entering ##4636## or ##64663#. Some global firmware may have limited access to CIT, then you will need to use ADB.
Log analysis via ADB and computer
If the engineering menu does not show detailed information or the Display item is missing, the most reliable way is to analyze system logs through the Android debugging bridge (ADB). This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer through USB-It's a cable, and it has minimal command line skills, and it allows you to pull raw data that you can't output in the user interface.
To start, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7-10 times on MIUI Version (or OS Version) until you notice that you have become a developer. Then go to Settings → Additional Settings → Developer For and activate the USB Debugging Tool.
Connect your phone to your PC. Download the Android SDK Platform Tools from Google's official website. Open the command line (CMD or Terminal) in the tool folder and type in the command to check the connection: adb devices. On the smartphone screen, you'll see a request for debugging permission — confirm it.
Now you need to get a buffer log that contains information about loading the display drivers. Enter the following command:
adb logcat -d | findstr -i"display\|screen\|panel\|dsi"In the resulting array of text, look for lines containing the names of panel manufacturers or controllers, BOE, Tianma, Himax, Novatek, and you'll find a lot of things in the logs that say, panel_name: samsung_dsi_s6e3fc3, Which clearly indicates the matrix from Samsung.
Why can’t the manufacturer’s name be in the logs?
Specialized applications for Android
For those who don't want to mess with the command line, there are Google Play apps that automatically collect and interpret technical information, they use the same system APIs as ADB, but present the data in a user-friendly graphical way, but it's worth remembering that without root rights, some apps can only show basic information.
One of the most popular tools is the Device Info HW. Once installed, launch the app and go to the Screen tab, where you'll see not only the resolution and density of the pickles, but often the name of the driver or manufacturer of the controller-touch. If the specific name is specified in the Driver or Panel field, this is your desired result.
Another useful application is AIDA64, which provides comprehensive information about all components of the device. In the Display section, you can find data on matrix technology, supported modes and sometimes information about the vendor. Also worth paying attention to the CPU-Z application, which, although focused on the processor, often correctly defines the display model in the "Device" section.
- 📱 Device Info HW — Best application for detailed analysis of hardware, including sensors and display.
- 📊 AIDA64 — powerful tool for collecting the full specification of the device, a convenient interface with graphs.
- 🔍 CPU-Z — Easy and fast way to learn basic features, including screen model, if available on the system.
It's important to understand that apps show what the operating system "sees," and if a smartphone manufacturer at the kernel level has hidden the panel ID, no application without root rights can circumvent that restriction, and in such cases, you have to rely on indirect signs or disassembly.
Visual diagnostics and matrix tests
Even if the software methods didn't give a definitive answer, you can visually determine the type of matrix and its quality. Different screen manufacturing technologies (AMOLED, IPS, LCD) have characteristic features that are noticeable to the naked eye or with a simple magnifier, which is especially important when buying a used device, to make sure that the screen has not been replaced with a cheap counterpart.
The first test is for broken pixels and evenness of backlight. Run a video with pure white, black, red, green and blue on the full screen. On a black background, AMOLED matrix pixels should be completely turned off (perfectly black), whereas IPS will always have a noticeable light backlight glow. The presence of glowing dots on a black background indicates a defect or poor matrix quality.
The second test is viewing angles. AMOLED screens tend to retain color reproduction and brightness even when tilted heavily, while budget IPS panels can invert colors or turn very pale. Also note the "ghosting effect" when scrolling quickly. Good screens with high refresh rates (90 Hz, 120 Hz) should display movement clearly.
⚠️ Warning: When checking against a white background, be careful with brightness. Prolonged viewing of a static white image at maximum brightness can cause the device to temporarily burn out or overheat, especially on older ones AMOLED panel.
The third important aspect is PWM (flickering). Many users are sensitive to low-brightness pulsation. To check for PWM, take a picture of the screen of a working smartphone through another phone's camera at low brightness. If you see dark bands, then you use pulse-width modulation to adjust the brightness, which is typical of AMOLED. IPS screens use DC Dimming more often and do not flicker.
Comparative table of screen manufacturers
Knowing the main characteristics and features of different panel manufacturers will help you navigate the data faster. Below is a table that will help you decipher what to expect from a particular vendor whose matrixes are most common in Xiaomi devices.
| Manufacturer | Typical codes/Marking | Features | Frequency of occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung | S6E..., E3, E4, E5 | High brightness, excellent color reproduction, deep black | Flagships and the upper middle segment |
| BOE | NT..., B... | Good price/quality ratio, sometimes lower brightness | Medium and Budget Segment |
| Tianma | TM..., F... | Available solutions may be inferior in the corners of the review | Budget models (Redmi) |
| LG | LG... | Stable quality, good calibration | Rarely, in old flagships. |
As you can see from the table, codes starting on the S6E are almost guaranteed to point to the Samsung matrix, which is a sign of quality for many users. However, modern panels from BOE (Q9+ series) in Xiaomi flagship models are almost equal to Korean counterparts in basic parameters.
It's also worth considering that within a smartphone model, a manufacturer can use screens from two different vendors, for example, Samsung can be in a batch for China, and for the global market - Tianma. This is normal manufacturing practice, and you should not panic if you find the wrong manufacturer, if the visual quality is good for you.
☑️ Checklist screen check before buying
Frequent problems and their solution
After checking the screen, users sometimes encounter problems that require intervention, one of the frequent complaints being the "green tint" or "green bar" on the screen, which often appears after a firmware update, a hardware problem related to overheating of the plume or degradation of the organic layer, and is rarely solved software-based.
Another problem is the uneven brightness or "green tint at low brightness" when you see a greenish spot in the corner of the screen at minimum brightness, which is a matrix production defect. If the device is warranted, it must be delivered to a service center. Software calibrators can only smooth out the effect slightly, but not eliminate it completely.
Users may also notice that after glass replacement or screen re-painting, the touchscreen is not working properly (patching, phantom clicks), indicating poor quality of components or a violation of assembly technology, in which case only a repeated qualified replacement of the module helps.
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A green bar or spot on the screen is a physical damage to the matrix or plume that cannot be fixed by software reset or flashing.
If you find that your device has a screen from a lesser-known manufacturer but it suits you visually, there is no reason to worry: Xiaomi's current quality control standards are high enough to reject clearly defective panels regardless of brand.
Conclusion and final recommendations
Checking the type and manufacturer of the screen on Xiaomi is a task that is solved in a few minutes using engineering code or the Device Info HW application. Knowing what matrix is installed in your device helps to better understand its capabilities, customize color reproduction to your preferences or reasonably require warranty repair in case of defects.
The panel technology has advanced far, and the difference between top models from different vendors is becoming less noticeable for the average user, the main thing is the lack of factory defects and compliance with the characteristics stated in the specification.
Check the screen regularly, especially if you are actively using your smartphone to navigate or read at low brightness, and detecting touchscreen or backlight problems early will help you resolve them before they become critical.