Our phones have improved so much over the years that it might be easy to think that we don't have to really deal with any settling as far as features are concerned. We might not have to make many sacrifices, to put it another way. At least that seems to be the case with high-end phones. We expect our flagship phones to be the best possible hardware in every single category, especially if we're forking over so much money.

That's a bit of a blessing and a curse, though.

Just look at the Pixel 2 XL last year. That's a smartphone that Google pegged as one of the best-of-the-best, especially in terms of the camera and build quality. Software, too, of course. But it didn't take long before the Pixel 2 XL was embroiled in a pretty big controversy related to its display. A lot of folks were unhappy with the screen's overall quality, and many were running into hardware defects.

Some of those issues were pretty big, and definitely needed Google's response. Some, though, were pretty minor, and probably would have gone under the radar if those other problems weren't cropping up at the same time. But it just goes to show how we all expect these devices to be worth the money, and if we're seeing distinct defects or we're made aware that the screen might not be as good as what else is out there, well, that can rub buyers the wrong way.

Google did right and improved the elements of the display it could. And I imagine, or hope, that they don't run into the same issues this year with the successor to the Pixel 2 XL.

I've been thinking about displays lately. I think it's one of the more interesting parts of a new phone's release, even if it's also pretty straightforward. We know that when Samsung launches a new phone it's going to have the best display on the market. But that's where devices from LG, Motorola, HTC, Essential, OnePlus, and others can be exciting. Maybe we'll finally see one of these other companies surprise us and launch a phone with an even better panel.

That's what Apple did last year with the iPhone X. We knew they were going to adopt OLED (finally), but the results were outstanding. The blue shift when the phone's tilted is pretty harsh, but that's just a byproduct of the technology. Even with that notch, the iPhone X's display is fantastic.

And then we've got the Galaxy S9 which managed to oust the iPhone X as the best display and we're neck-deep in the cycle all over again. Which is great! But I want to see other companies start to make a run for the crown, too. Can't always be a head-to-head race with Samsung and Apple.

That being said, I'm curious how important the screen on your smartphone is. After all, it's the window to all of our content on our most important device in our daily routine! Looking at a sub-par panel isn't any fun. But I can also understand why it might not be the most important part of your phone's many different aspects.

So how important is the display to you? Let me know!