Apple admits some iPod touch players shipped with faulty screens

***AppleInsider*** · 09-20-2007, 12:58 PM

Apple this week confirmed reports that some of its new iPod touch players left its manufacturing facilities with defective screens and said the company is actively working to remedy the issue.

Several iPod touch customers have reported that their 16GB players exhibit an issue where playback of dark video scenes is almost unwatchable, and have further suggested that Apple may have equipped the new players with screens that are inferior in quality to those used in the iPhone.

"[S]some early iPod Touch units have had defective screens, where images appeared too dark," the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg revealed in his own review of the player published Thursday. "Apple says this problem affected a small number of units and is being remedied."

Like AppleInsider's review unit, which appears to be one of the unaffected units, Mossberg said his two iPod touch test units "displayed beautiful images." He did, however, take issue with the player's battery life, which failed to meet Apple's claims in his own tests.

Watch Mossberg's 7-minute iPod touch video review

It's presently unclear how widespread the iPod touch display issue may be or what remedial action Apple will offer to customers who own affected units. Such information will be published once it becomes available.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

digitalclips · 09-20-2007, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Apple this week confirmed reports that some of its new iPod touch players left its manufacturing facilities with defective screens and said the company is actively working to remedy the issue.

Several iPod touch customers have reported that their 16GB players exhibit an issue where playback of dark video scenes is almost unwatchable, and have further suggested that Apple may have equipped the new players with screens that are inferior in quality to those used in the iPhone.

"[S]some early iPod Touch units have had defective screens, where images appeared too dark," the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg revealed in his own review of the player published Thursday. "Apple says this problem affected a small number of units and is being remedied."

Like AppleInsider's review unit, which appears to be one of the unaffected units, Mossberg said his two iPod touch test units "displayed beautiful images." He did, however, take issue with the player's battery life, which failed to meet Apple's claims in his own tests.

Watch Mossberg's 7-minute iPod touch video review

It's presently unclear how widespread the iPod touch display issue may be or what remedial action Apple will offer to customers who own affected units. Such information will be published once it becomes available.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

Good video review by Walt. I agree 100% with him.

eAi · 09-20-2007, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by digitalclips

Good video review by Walt. I agree 100% with him.

Yep, seemed pretty accurate. It's a good media player, but has the downside of lack of 'real' buttons and perhaps slightly more limited battery life than expected (though better than my 2G iPod Nano!)...

skottichan · 09-20-2007, 01:25 PM

I totally agree with Walt. I've yet to push the battery to see how close mine is to the Apple specs.

My first touch had the negative black problem, I too it back to the Easton Apple Store here in Columbus. The Genius gave me a new one, and even went so far as to plug it in, load a couple videos off my original to test the new one's display.

Very happy Apple fangirl.

parky · 09-20-2007, 01:41 PM

It will be interesting to see how Apple actually 'remedy' the issue.

Will they contact all the owners who registered their iPod touch?

They must be able to identify the 'problem' batch by Serial number.

Maybe they can fix via software update, but if as it states it is 'defective screens' then I guess we can expect our devices to be exchanged.

I wait with bated breath to hear from Apple on which batch is faulty and how we arrange for an exchange.

Mine does have the problem by the way, very poor when watching dark movies. Mine is a 9C737 batch, one of the first I think. Which is week beginning 2nd Sept, made not that long ago!

Ian

Eriamjh · 09-20-2007, 01:43 PM

That explains why not everyone claimed to see the same problem. It appears Apple is listening or at least paying attention.

S10 · 09-20-2007, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parky

It will be interesting to see how Apple actually 'remedy' the issue.

Will they contact all the owners who registered their iPod touch?

They must be able to identify the 'problem' batch by Serial number.

Maybe they can fix via software update, but if as it states it is 'defective screens' then I guess we can expect our devices to be exchanged.

I wait with bated breath to hear from Apple on which batch is faulty and how we arrange for an exchange.

Mine does have the problem by the way, very poor when watching dark movies. Mine is a 9C737 batch, one of the first I think. Which is week beginning 2nd Sept, made not that long ago!

Ian

Just go to your Apple store and get a new one.

mntentman · 09-20-2007, 02:23 PM

Apple didn't officially admit to anything... Mossberg in his article said he had talked to them... so it is second-hand info. A press release from Apple would be a different story.

**JeffDM** · 09-20-2007, 02:29 PM

There will always be some defective units made of any kind of product. Defective units really isn't a problem unless the maker denies it or tries to avoid replacing them for good ones.

pt123 · 09-20-2007, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eriamjh

That explains why not everyone claimed to see the same problem. It appears Apple is listening or at least paying attention.

They definitely pay attention. That is how they delete some critical post on their discussion posts.

Rot'nApple · 09-20-2007, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skottichan

I totally agree with Walt. I've yet to push the battery to see how close mine is to the Apple specs.

My first touch had the negative black problem, I too it back to the Easton Apple Store here in Columbus. The Genius gave me a new one, and even went so far as to plug it in, load a couple videos off my original to test the new one's display.

Very happy Apple fangirl.

First post I see...

Welcome to the community

Notice how I didn't say "Welcome to the Social"!

Flounder · 09-20-2007, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mntentman

Apple didn't officially admit to anything... Mossberg in his article said he had talked to them... so it is second-hand info. A press release from Apple would be a different story.

I'd say Apple talking on the record to a member of the press qualifies as officially admitting. Not everything needs to be in a press release.

Soulbow · 09-20-2007, 03:04 PM

My touch arrives tomorrow. I'll report with the results.

skottichan · 09-20-2007, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rot'nApple

First post I see...

Welcome to the community

Notice how I didn't say "Welcome to the Social"!

....after spending nearly 3 hours setting up a retarded friend's Zune, I should hit you for that.

Seriously, I've been a long time lurker, I've noticed many times, posters tend to like to bitch, instead of getting the problem taken care of (forgive the run on sentence there). Yeah, I'm a fangirl, yeah, at times I can be a bit of an apologist. Most importantly, if any of my Apple gear isn't working right, I deal with it.

dfiler · 09-20-2007, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flounder

I'd say Apple talking on the record to a member of the press qualifies as officially admitting. Not everything needs to be in a press release.

Well... to get way too technical about connotation and word choice...

"confirmed" rather than "admitted" would have been a better choice of words for the headline. "admitted" tends to imply that the party was previously denying an assertion that they now agree with.

acslater017 · 09-20-2007, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

...
Several iPod touch customers have reported that their 16GB players exhibit an issue where playback of dark video scenes is almost unwatchable...

so was the screen issue only with the 16 GB models? i was going to pick up an 8 GB model and then hesitated when i heard about the screen...if it's just the 16 gig ones, then i'll order my 8 GB soon!

SpamSandwich · 09-20-2007, 04:55 PM

Agree with Walt. Apple needs to implement the most effective solution to a problem. For the volume control, a simple dial on the front or outside of the iPod would be the best answer. I can't tell you how many times I nearly blew out my ears because there was no physical way to check the volume. Get smart Steve.

floccus · 09-20-2007, 07:23 PM

Mossberg needs to take some pointers from Pogue about how to do a webcast. As for the screen issue, as long as Apple replaces the units, then its a non-issue.

Dr. X · 09-20-2007, 08:06 PM

Quote:

It's presently unclear how widespread the iPod touch display issue may be or what remedial action Apple will offer to customers who own affected units. Such information will be published once it becomes available.

This is a wide spread issue. See thread at Apple Discussions. Also someone posted a probable explanation for the iPod Touch LCD deficiencies.

There appear to be a number of units in the wild which have perfect screens.

Dzign · 09-20-2007, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. X

This is a wide spread issue. See thread at Apple Discussions. Also someone posted a probable explanation for the iPod Touch LCD deficiencies.

There appear to be a number of units in the wild which have perfect screens.

The serial has '9C738', the last two digits representing the week it was made, in this case week 38.
Looks like week 38 are good

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthre...=358071&page=1

sdfisher · 09-20-2007, 11:53 PM

I wish I could say it was a great video, but I get about 0.5FPS playing it. Sure, my computer is a bit modest, but it's still a G4. What is that codec doing with all those cycles?

**JeffDM** · 09-21-2007, 12:04 AM

I can see why some people think that the iTouch has an inferior screen, it's probably because it is inferior. I noticed on the store's iTouch that there is an odd "interlace" flicker that's just not present on the store's iPhone. That same odd flickering is why I prefer the 1st gen nano over the second gen nano. It might be the kind of thing that most people don't notice, but it might mean that it's dithering, which might explain why other aspects of the performance might be sub par.

SpinDrift · 09-21-2007, 08:13 AM

Walts voice is so boring. He should stick to writing.

brianh431 · 09-21-2007, 12:00 PM

I got my 8gb touch yesterday and saw the screen issue right away, you can't miss it. I called support this morning and they are going to fix it (which means I will be without for a couple of weeks). They didn't really seem to know about the issue though, actually they said they haven't received many calls on it. But they are taking care of it regardless, faulty products do slip by but it is good to know they will remedy the problem.

addabox · 09-21-2007, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. X

This is a wide spread issue. See thread at Apple Discussions. Also someone posted a probable explanation for the iPod Touch LCD deficiencies.

There appear to be a number of units in the wild which have perfect screens.

I"m repeating what I posted in the "crooked Nano screen" thread:

Lot's of postings on Apple's boards doesn't necessarily show a "wide spread" problem, it just means people with bad Touch screens are motivated to speak up. Even a few dozen unhappy campers can make a thread look like an explosion dissatisfaction, and a few hundred can appear to be "everybody".

But a few hundred, or even a few thousand, defective units is still a tiny percentage of overall sales.

I'm not trying to minimize the problem, and clearly Apple needs to replace any screens that aren't up to snuff (which it appears they are doing), but in the internet age it really doesn't take that many lemons to give the impression that there is some kind of huge problem when it may in fact be quite limited.

Cato988 · 09-21-2007, 03:12 PM

mine was made in week 37 and it appears to have the problem. can anyone else confirm or deny about week 37s?

ratty · 09-22-2007, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cato988

mine was made in week 37 and it appears to have the problem. can anyone else confirm or deny about week 37s?

Mine is also a wk 37 build and shows the problem. I rang my local Apple store who were aware of the problem (batch problem they said) and would exchange it. Only thing is though they have no stock and would could not say when they expected to receive more.

09-20-2007, 12:58 PM	#1
*AppleInsider* Kasper's Automated Slave Join Date: Nov 1997 Posts: 6,153	Apple admits some iPod touch players shipped with faulty screens Apple this week confirmed reports that some of its new iPod touch players left its manufacturing facilities with defective screens and said the company is actively working to remedy the issue. Several iPod touch customers have reported that their 16GB players exhibit an issue where playback of dark video scenes is almost unwatchable, and have further suggested that Apple may have equipped the new players with screens that are inferior in quality to those used in the iPhone. "[S]some early iPod Touch units have had defective screens, where images appeared too dark," the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg revealed in his own review of the player published Thursday. "Apple says this problem affected a small number of units and is being remedied." Like AppleInsider's review unit, which appears to be one of the unaffected units, Mossberg said his two iPod touch test units "displayed beautiful images." He did, however, take issue with the player's battery life, which failed to meet Apple's claims in his own tests. Watch Mossberg's 7-minute iPod touch video review It's presently unclear how widespread the iPod touch display issue may be or what remedial action Apple will offer to customers who own affected units. Such information will be published once it becomes available. [ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

09-20-2007, 02:23 PM	#8
mntentman Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 3	Headline is misleading Apple didn't officially admit to anything... Mossberg in his article said he had talked to them... so it is second-hand info. A press release from Apple would be a different story.

09-20-2007, 04:55 PM	#17
SpamSandwich Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 8,453	Agree with Walt. Apple needs to implement the most effective solution to a problem. For the volume control, a simple dial on the front or outside of the iPod would be the best answer. I can't tell you how many times I nearly blew out my ears because there was no physical way to check the volume. Get smart Steve. "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain ground." —Thomas Jefferson Proud AAPL stock owner.

09-21-2007, 12:00 PM	#24
brianh431 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1	iPod touch getting fixed I got my 8gb touch yesterday and saw the screen issue right away, you can't miss it. I called support this morning and they are going to fix it (which means I will be without for a couple of weeks). They didn't really seem to know about the issue though, actually they said they haven't received many calls on it. But they are taking care of it regardless, faulty products do slip by but it is good to know they will remedy the problem.

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09-20-2007, 01:25 PM	#4
skottichan Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 144	I totally agree with Walt. I've yet to push the battery to see how close mine is to the Apple specs. My first touch had the negative black problem, I too it back to the Easton Apple Store here in Columbus. The Genius gave me a new one, and even went so far as to plug it in, load a couple videos off my original to test the new one's display. Very happy Apple fangirl.

09-20-2007, 01:41 PM	#5
parky Banned Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 383	It will be interesting to see how Apple actually 'remedy' the issue. Will they contact all the owners who registered their iPod touch? They must be able to identify the 'problem' batch by Serial number. Maybe they can fix via software update, but if as it states it is 'defective screens' then I guess we can expect our devices to be exchanged. I wait with bated breath to hear from Apple on which batch is faulty and how we arrange for an exchange. Mine does have the problem by the way, very poor when watching dark movies. Mine is a 9C737 batch, one of the first I think. Which is week beginning 2nd Sept, made not that long ago! Ian

09-20-2007, 01:43 PM	#6
Eriamjh Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 138	That explains why not everyone claimed to see the same problem. It appears Apple is listening or at least paying attention.

09-20-2007, 02:29 PM	#9
JeffDM Global Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: .US Posts: 9,127	There will always be some defective units made of any kind of product. Defective units really isn't a problem unless the maker denies it or tries to avoid replacing them for good ones.

09-20-2007, 03:04 PM	#13
Soulbow Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 30	My touch arrives tomorrow. I'll report with the results.

09-20-2007, 07:23 PM	#18
floccus Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 124	Mossberg needs to take some pointers from Pogue about how to do a webcast. As for the screen issue, as long as Apple replaces the units, then its a non-issue.

09-20-2007, 11:53 PM	#21
sdfisher Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 55	I wish I could say it was a great video, but I get about 0.5FPS playing it. Sure, my computer is a bit modest, but it's still a G4. What is that codec doing with all those cycles?

09-21-2007, 12:04 AM	#22
JeffDM Global Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: .US Posts: 9,127	I can see why some people think that the iTouch has an inferior screen, it's probably because it is inferior. I noticed on the store's iTouch that there is an odd "interlace" flicker that's just not present on the store's iPhone. That same odd flickering is why I prefer the 1st gen nano over the second gen nano. It might be the kind of thing that most people don't notice, but it might mean that it's dithering, which might explain why other aspects of the performance might be sub par.

09-21-2007, 08:13 AM	#23
SpinDrift Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 653	Walts voice is so boring. He should stick to writing.

09-21-2007, 03:12 PM	#26
Cato988 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 304	mine was made in week 37 and it appears to have the problem. can anyone else confirm or deny about week 37s?

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