Early iPhone 3G adopters bothered by yellow-tinted screens

[AppleInsider]

A number early iPhone 3G adopters are finding that their new phone's display is much warmer, or yellow-tinted, compared to the displays of the original iPhone and have begun lodging complaints.

Photos of the two phones side-by-side (submitted by AppleInsider reader Naoman) clearly show a visible difference. Compared to the iPhone 3G, the original iPhone's display appears much cooler due to its blue tint.

Given a choice, many users are saying they prefer the original iPhone's display over the one shipping on the iPhone 3G, though oddly Apple has said that both generations of iPhones use the same exact display.

Therefore, it's unclear if Apple will be able to make changes to the new phone's display calibration through a firmware update, or if the problem is embedded in the hardware. A number of early purchasers say they are going to attempt to swap their phones in hopes of landing one with a whiter display, though it's uncertain at this time whether Apple will entertain these requests or whether it considers the yellow tinted screens to be of issue.

In the meantime, some users note that cranking up the brightness of the iPhone 3G's display makes the yellow tint somewhat less noticeable, but at the same time this produces piercingly bright images.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[SpamSandwich]

That would appear to be plastic discoloration, not the display.

Oh, and speaking of a nation of whiners...

[g3pro]

Yuck. Not sure if urine-colored iPhones are more appealing than poo-colored Zunes, but they're definitely a close tie.

[JoeDRC]

my screen seems fine! camera has a yellow tint to it though, might be the light in my lounge or the poor camera?

[jr0ckett]

Well, it has been proven that yellow is much easier on the eyes than pure white. Apple is simply looking out for our best interests.

[SS3 GokouX]

Is it possible that it's a color profile issue?

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by JoeDRC

my screen seems fine! camera has a yellow tint to it though, might be the light in my lounge or the poor camera?

Perhaps the real answer is that these iPhones have been waiting in the wings for months and their plastic has yellowed with age. THAT'S why there has been nary an improvement in the hardware!

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by SS3 GokouX

Is it possible that it's a color profile issue?

[LeRyman]

That "yellow" looks similar to my new iMac sitting beside my Cinema HD ... kinda yellowish.

[jasonwendling]

I got one with a bad volume button (16GB-BLK) and took it into the store. I also noticed that the screen looked different than my original iPhone (8GB). In addition the the yellow tint, the new screen has differences in contrast.

I compared my 1st gen iPhone to about 10 of the 3G phones. They all looked like they had the slight tint and contrast difference. I'd be interested to know if anyone got a "good one". At first I was worried about the whole iPod touch screen problem making a resurgence.

At 75% brightness the tint is only noticeable when next to a 1st gen phone. There is nothing "wrong" with the new one - just different.

Apple was happy to replace my phone. Overall, the new screen seems a little more vivid. Looking at notes on the old and the new, the new looks a lot better. Also, I find photos do as well.

One final thought - is it possible that al the 1st gen phones have faded over time?

-J

[steviet02]

Originally Posted by jr0ckett

Well, it has been proven that yellow is much easier on the eyes than pure white. Apple is simply looking out for our best interests.

[coxyuk]

Originally Posted by SS3 GokouX

Is it possible that it's a color profile issue?

Yes. It appears they have selected a different colour temperature from the 6,600k of the original which gives it a warmer colour. The original is a little too cool, the new one a little too warm so maybe an update will get it right

[Mitch1984]

This is stupid.
If the Yellow-ish displays came out 1st on the 1st Gen, then the new iPhone had the blue tinge, people would still be uncomfortable that it was different, and would still be complaining.

[bobertoq]

I don't even see any yellow.

[kernokerno]

[djeckhart]

Look here, it appears there's a firmware update.

[monkeyastronaut]

it's the price to pay for being an early adopter, but they do have the right to get one in perfect conditions. these are not cheap toys. the screen looks real washed out in the picture though, with the increased brightness. i do not see any yellow.

[kglee79]

I have a 16GB 3G iPhone and my wife has the 8GB 3G iPhone that we picked up this morning. Hers has the cool white look and mine is noticeably yellower than hers. Both are on version 5A345. So I do no believe the issue is a software/firmware one, but rather a display hardware issue.

[grahamw]

Originally Posted by kglee79

I have a 16GB 3G iPhone and my wife has the 8GB 3G iPhone that we picked up this morning. Hers has the cool white look and mine is noticeably yellower than hers. Both are on version 5A345. So I do no believe the issue is a software/firmware one, but rather a display hardware issue.

From the link:

Just plug in your iphone to Itunes, then Run the "RESTORE" and it will update to the newer firmware (5A347).

So why don't you update your phone to 5A347 and let us all know if it's still yellow? Good call? Good call. Cheers.

[akhomerun]

never buy products on launch. it's always a stupid idea. when will people learn? never mind wasting your life away in a line just so you can get a stupid phone a week earlier.

seriously, it's really simple, just pretend to yourself that the product you want isn't coming out for another month. then go buy it a month later. it will make no difference to your life.

[macinthe408]

The Samsung Instinct's display doesn't have these issues. Although the phone does suck donkey balls.

[SpamSandwich]

Are you guys sure this isn't just a Coldplay marketing tie-in?

[kglee79]

Originally Posted by grahamw

From the link:

Just plug in your iphone to Itunes, then Run the "RESTORE" and it will update to the newer firmware (5A347).

So why don't you update your phone to 5A347 and let us all know if it's still yellow? Good call? Good call. Cheers.

The update to 5A347 was just completed on my phone, now my display is much brighter than my wife's and now her's looks yellow in comparison. With the brightness slider set to the middle on each phone, my display is much brighter now and looks whiter as well, but that may just be because of the increased brightness.

[quinney]

Originally Posted by g3pro

Yuck. Not sure if urine-colored iPhones are more appealing than poo-colored Zunes, but they're definitely a close tie.

Well you have come to the right forum to get THAT question answered.

[maccabbieatx]

I'm glad to wait for the bugs to work out. What happened to PATIENCE ? from ASSHOLYAN.

[dm3]

Sorry, I don't see a difference. In fact, after looking at all the pictures, I have no idea which is supposed to be the old one vs. the new one. My wife looked two and laughed. She couldn't tell a difference either.

[Riot Nrrrd™]

Big ups to akhomerun for that post - I totally agree. I'm pretending it hasn't come out yet, and in a week or two I can leisurely stroll into an AT&T store and find no people in there - and maybe even get an iPhone 3G that isn't yellow



Meanwhile, iLounge has extensive A/B comparison pictures of the iPhone vs. the iPhone 3G here:

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/new...lts-here/14715

[ThinkingDifferent]

Did everybody take the protective plastic sheet off of the display?

[Jakk]

Haven't u guy heard about this "Yellowish is the new White"

[ghostface147]

I have the yellow tint as well.....ugh.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Riot Nrrrd™

Meanwhile, iLounge has extensive A/B comparison pictures of the iPhone vs. the iPhone 3G here:

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/new...lts-here/14715

Nice real world review and images. It make me want to get a white one after seeing all the fingerprints, but I'm pretty sure I'll stick with the black one.

The one really disappointing part to me is the lack of FireWire charging. I have been using my old iPod-to-FW400 cables with the old wall chargers for years. Oh well.

[nagromme]

Originally Posted by SpamSandwich

That would appear to be plastic discoloration, not the display.

Oh, and speaking of a nation of whiners...

Well, the iPhone's screen is glass, not plastic, so....

Anyway, neither of those screens look wrong to me, merely different. One looks dimmer, but neither is turned up to full brightness anyway.

Of course, all of us viewing on our computer screens are looking at the tint of our screen and of the camera used, more than we're looking at the tint of the phone!

[urbansprawl]

Originally Posted by SpamSandwich

That would appear to be plastic discoloration, not the display.

Apple touts a glass screen for the iPhone, not plastic.

[ExodiusX]

Originally Posted by bobertoq

I don't even see any yellow.

If you have a mac enter in this key combo

ctrl+option/alt++8

the color switch will enhance the color difference.

[Akac]

My iPhone looks quite nice. I have a 2G here and a 3G and I noticed the 3G looked nicer to me.

[DCJ001]

Originally Posted by ExodiusX

If you have a mac enter in this key combo

ctrl+option/alt++8

the color switch will enhance the color difference.

My Mac doesn't have an alt key!

[McHuman]

It happened to my non-3G iphone with the 2.0 update. its most noticable at low brightness levels, where i usually keep mine.

its particularly annoying looking at photos. the contrast (gamma) seems lifted, too. i hope they fix this.

[HFU]

Just want to share some of the photos and hope to provide some comparison and tracking as reference so people may get an idea what batch they got.

* Model: iPhone 3G Black 8GB
* Supplier: ATT local store
* Production Date: 8482********
* Default firmware: 2.0 (5A345)

First photo was taken under yellow lamp, and the second two took under white fluorescent lamp. When taking the shot under strong flash light, it does turn the iPhone screen a bit dimmer but not yellow. The screen otherwise looked crisp and sharp with no yellow issue.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by DCJ001

My Mac doesn't have an alt key!

Then you must have a Chinese knockoff.

Originally Posted by Akac

My iPhone looks quite nice. I have a 2G here and a 3G and I noticed the 3G looked nicer to me.

It felt smaller than the original one in my hand even though the pics show it's wider.

Originally Posted by McHuman

It happened to my non-3G iphone with the 2.0 update. its most noticable at low brightness levels, where i usually keep mine.

its particularly annoying looking at photos. the contrast (gamma) seems lifted, too. i hope they fix this.

It's good to have a report that it is probably a software issue.

[SpinDrift]

I find the yellow tint quite distracting. I noticed it almost immediately and now it really bugs me! I really hope it isn't a hardware issue. I'm trying the firmware update through the Restore option to see if that helps. If not, it's going back!

Fussy? Perhaps, but I'm a Mac user, what do you expect!