Apple says yellow-tinted iPhone 3G screen deliberate
While many new iPhone 3G owners have griped that the device's occasionally yellowish hue is evidence of a defect, Apple has now gone on record to say that the tint is a deliberate choice to improve overall usability.
The company's Senior Director of Product Marketing, Bob Borchers, tells Engadget that the shift from the blue-biased LCD of the original iPhone isn't an accident and produces more accurate colors most of the time, registers deeper blacks, and makes the resulting image appear crisper.
The original screen was too cold and slightly murkier, Borchers adds. In AppleInsider's experience, the new panel should also help improve visibility outdoors, where contrast and overall brightness are both important factors.
This notably doesn't affect color shifts at wide viewing angles, which are a symptom of certain LCD panel types that show either blue or yellow depending on the point of view.
The company's Senior Director of Product Marketing, Bob Borchers, tells Engadget that the shift from the blue-biased LCD of the original iPhone isn't an accident and produces more accurate colors most of the time, registers deeper blacks, and makes the resulting image appear crisper.
The original screen was too cold and slightly murkier, Borchers adds. In AppleInsider's experience, the new panel should also help improve visibility outdoors, where contrast and overall brightness are both important factors.
This notably doesn't affect color shifts at wide viewing angles, which are a symptom of certain LCD panel types that show either blue or yellow depending on the point of view.
Comments
While many new iPhone 3G owners have griped that the device's occasionally yellowish hue is evidence of a defect, Apple has now gone on record to say that the tint is a deliberate choice to improve overall usability.
The company's Senior Director of Product Marketing, Bob Borchers, tells Engadget that the shift from the blue-biased LCD of the original iPhone isn't an accident and produces more accurate colors most of the time, registers deeper blacks, and makes the resulting image appear crisper.
The original screen was too cold and slightly murkier, Borchers adds. In AppleInsider's experience, the new panel should also help improve visibility outdoors, where contrast and overall brightness are both important factors.
This notably doesn't affect color shifts at wide viewing angles, which are a symptom of certain LCD panel types that show either blue or yellow depending on the point of view.
Which means (to me) that ALL 3G phones will be or are Yellow? Yet I don't see everyone complaining. Is this because some haven't noticed or are there a shit load of folks who are color blind?
Skip
I would think the people who would be MOST likely to notice would be those going from an old iPhone to a new one: they're used to a slight blue bias, and now a slight yellow bias seems extra yellow to them in comparison.
The people who do compare it think that something is wrong because the 1st generation MUST BE RIGHT!!
Is this because some haven't noticed or are there a shit load of folks who are color blind?
No, it's because most people are relieved. Macs have traditionally followed the TV manufacturers in pursuing brightness at any cost by using ridiculously hot color temperatures: 8,000, 10,000, even 12,000 Kelvins (when sunlight is about 6,500.) Remember that brightness goes up with the fourth power of the temperature and you'll see why. Turn on your TV in a darkened room and then turn your back on it and you'll see that everything is actually some shade of blue, even though your visual cortex will (sort of) compensate for it. Every computer monitor (and TV) has to be calibrated to bring down the color temperature to some reasonable level. I know when I boot up my Mac, that first opening screen before my calibration takes over, seems just as hot and blue as a welding arc. If the iPhone can not in fact be color-calibrated, then this is a great step in making it more usable. Try watching a video before you decide you don't like it. I'll bet you'll find that it looks much more natural. But some people are so used to that blue actinic glare from their uncalibrated displays that they ARE complaining about it.
P.S.: A good test for any display is if you can't get natural skin tones without making blonde hair look green. That means the color temperature is too high, like every TV that's left the factory for the last 50 years!
We see a HUGE range of "whites" in the world--even just on device screens. It doesn't surprise me at all that some people notice, while others don't--or notice but don't care.
I would think the people who would be MOST likely to notice would be those going from an old iPhone to a new one: they're used to a slight blue bias, and now a slight yellow bias seems extra yellow to them in comparison.
i notice the difference, but that's all it is to my eyes. although i won't describe it as yellow, but a biased towards warm hues. i find the overall colors on a warm and saturated side. i find these quite pleasing to my eyes. however, i won't rely on its display for accurate colors, and of course, this iPhone model wasn't intended for rendering colors accurately.
Overall, I loved the display on the new phone.
Jim
If not, I'm sure there will be such an app for Jailbroken iPhones.
When I first plugged in the phone to sync, it said I had 2.0 (5A345)
After going the Restore route, it now says 2.0 (5A347)
Obviously some type of minor bug fix, but why keep it a damn secret?
Obviously some type of minor bug fix, but why keep it a damn secret?
I think the answer is simpler than that. If you restore the iPhone it has to grab v2.0 before proceeding. The only one that has been released to iTunes for upgrading is 5A347. When it was released as Golden Master 9 days ago, 5A345 is was packaged on the iPhone 3G. While there obviously have been some changes, this is apparently nothing that Apple thinks will impact 3G users. In fact, the most logical deduction is the newer update probably addresses issues for original iPhone hardware.
Imagine the recall?
Or maybe the yellowish hue is the NOW the deliberate choice as complaints surface.
Imagine the recall?
That isn't likely. If it is a HW issue then it will be made self evident as a display calibration app will surely be available for jailbroken devices. Apple trying to cover it up with a lie would just make matters worse for them.
When you’ve used iPhone V1 for the last year, it’s weird to pick up a new one, see the same icons as before, and yet they’re more… yellow. I compared the 2 phones and the 3G has much darker blacks, a sharper contrast and is more yellow. The old one appears whiter (perhaps bluer) and “washed out”. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just my phone so I want to Apple. They all have the same screen, the differences people are reporting online are confused, because it’s all too subtle and people aren’t professional colour graders and many haven’t owned the first phone. Now I’m getting used to the new screen I’m realising that photos look just amazing, really beautiful. Clearly Apple has made a choice that is going to be best for us all, we just need to get used to it. At least there’s no hardware issues
After looking at screen shots from the Rat movie in the last thread, I think maybe it is for the better. The original model does look a bit too blue, but it seems from the pics that maybe the new ones went a bit too far the other way. It's hard to really tell which one is more correct without at least setting a decent camera to a specific white balance number, preferably 6500K, and eye dropper the white colors on the screen. I suppose the way to really settle it is if someone with a good screen calibration sensor could test both and see what the color temps are.
Does anyone have more than one iPhone 3G, using the same firmware, that look different from the other iPhone 3G at the same settings?
After looking at screen shots from the Rat movie in the last thread, I think maybe it is for the better. The original model does look a bit too blue, but it seems from the pics that maybe the new ones went a bit too far the other way. It's hard to really tell which one is more correct without at least setting a decent camera to a specific white balance number, preferably 6500K, and eye dropper the white colors on the screen. I suppose the way to really settle it is if someone with a good screen calibration sensor could test both and see what the color temps are.
Does anyone have more than one iPhone 3G, using the same firmware, that look different from the other iPhone 3G at the same settings?
When using an application such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop for color correct work, generally displays will tend to look more yellow because they are trying to simulate reflected light conditions, even though monitors are transmitted light.
Does anyone have more than one iPhone 3G, using the same firmware, that look different from the other iPhone 3G at the same settings?
My 3G is way more yellow than my wife's 3G. It seems the displays are biased warm, but some displays may be warmer than others by default. I think mine is too yellow and my wife's, which is warmer than my ipod touch is perfect. I did the restore and update and it didn't help.
My 3G is way more yellow than my wife's 3G. It seems the displays are biased warm, but some displays may be warmer than others by default. I think mine is too yellow and my wife's, which is warmer than my ipod touch is perfect. I did the restore and update and it didn't help.
Along those same lines and having more candidates for testing, does anyone with an original iPhone and an iPhone 3G both running v2.0 (5A347) have the yellowing on both devices? Or two original iPhones, one running v2.0 (5A347) and with v1.1.4 have yellowing differences?
Either of those can determine if it's a software or HW issue.