Brilliant tablet feature makes daily work easier—Why isn’t it standard by now?

In the early days of laptops, glossy displays were a rarity; today, nearly all tech products with screens feature a reflective surface. With tablets, however, a trend in the opposite direction has recently emerged: a matte finish is often available again—at least as an option.

This is also the case with the Oppo Pad 6 (available, for example, at TradingShenzhen starting at US$ 685): As the “Soft Light Edition,” it comes with a matte display. But why did glossy display glass become so widespread in the first place, and where does this shift in thinking over the past few years come from?

Why do reflective displays even exist?

Devices became increasingly portable and, of course, were occasionally dropped. As a solution, more durable screen protectors were developed—but these had a glossy surface. 

The advertised benefits are that colors appear more vibrant and there’s no dimming when viewed from the side. However, they also reflect light strongly in bright environments, often making it difficult to work outdoors.

This is likely one reason why more and more manufacturers are now offering screens with a matte finish that reduces glare.

The technology has also advanced to the point where colors are hardly desaturated, and viewing angles are barely restricted.

Matte surfaces take some getting used to at first

But then why doesn’t every manufacturer equip its tablets with a matte finish as standard? 

Well, one reason is probably that users have grown accustomed to glossy, vibrant display screens. Users who only use their tablets in the living room anyway won’t have any problems with glare, and of course, matte display coatings can be offered as an optional extra for an additional fee. 

The Oppo Pad 6 has even more advantages

In any case, the Oppo Pad 6’s matte finish proves to be a very good option—it still displays colors very vividly when desired and reliably prevents glare. 

As the tablet also features a fast processor and a large battery, we can definitely recommend it—provided you’re not averse to importing it from China.

You can find more details in our in-depth review of the Oppo Pad 6.