iPad Pro 12.9 2017 Not really impressed by screen contrast and color

[Sephrioth]

I thought the Ipad Pro 12.9 Inch (2017) display had a high color gamut and better contrast. I was expecting an extremely good display. It's ok, but not great. Are there different manufacturers of the panels? LG? Samsung? It seems to be a panel lottery again. Maybe there are Ipad pro's 12.7" 2017 with really good panels?

My Other Displays I own many high-quality displays/monitors: 2 Professional 4K Samsung LCD wide gamut (UD970), a well calibrated LG OLED TV (2016), Samsung OLED Tablet (2016) and an LG 4K Wide gamut display. I also have an old Ipad 3. I calibrate my displays with an i1 Display pro Colorimeter. I work as a graphic designer/3d artist.

Ipad 2017 12.9: Color Saturation: The Apple display is nowhere near the quality that I was expecting based on all the reviews. Colors seem just marginally more saturated than my old Ipad 3 and contrast about the same (or maybe marginally better). All my other displays have vastly better color reproduction and saturation. I know some will argue that too saturated colors are wrong, but I still think the Ipad 12.9 2017 model has bland color reproduction at best.

Ipad 2017 12.9: Slight Yellow Tint: The Ipad Pro also has a slight yellow tint compared to my other monitors and old Ipad. Turning on Automatic tone adjustment makes this far worse. (I turned all options off)

Ipad 2017 12.9: Gamma The Gamma/Black levels/Contrast of the Ipad 2017 model seems a bit low. I was expecting very high contrast (at least as good as my LCD Samsung displays and LG LCD Monitor). Of course, OLED displays will always have better contrast. But the contrast of this new iPad, while not horrible, it's also not great for such a high-end device.

 

[44267547]

Either you have high expectations or Maybe I'm just easier to please, but I have been completely impressed with the color tone and wider color gamut with the new iPads.

 

[TheRealAlex]

I thought the Ipad Pro 12.9 Inch (2017) display had a high color gamut and better contrast. I was expecting an extremely good display. It's ok, but not great. Are there different manufacturers of the panels? LG? Samsung? It seems to be a panel lottery again. Maybe there are Ipad pro's 12.7" 2017 with really good panels?

My Other Displays I own many high-quality displays/monitors: 2 Professional 4K Samsung LCD wide gamut (UD970), a well calibrated LG OLED TV (2016), Samsung OLED Tablet (2016) and an LG 4K Wide gamut display. I also have an old Ipad 3. I calibrate my displays with an i1 Display pro Colorimeter. I work as a graphic designer/3d artist.

Ipad 2017 12.9: Color Saturation: The Apple display is nowhere near the quality that I was expecting based on all the reviews. Colors seem just marginally more saturated than my old Ipad 3 and contrast about the same (or maybe marginally better). All my other displays have vastly better color reproduction and saturation. I know some will argue that too saturated colors are wrong, but I still think the Ipad 12.9 2017 model has bland color reproduction at best.

Ipad 2017 12.9: Slight Yellow Tint: The Ipad Pro also has a slight yellow tint compared to my other monitors and old Ipad. Turning on Automatic tone adjustment makes this far worse. (I turned all options off)
Ipad 2017 12.9: Gamma The Gamma/Black levels/Contrast of the Ipad 2017 model seems a bit low. I was expecting very high contrast (at least as good as my LCD Samsung displays and LG LCD Monitor). Of course, OLED displays will always have better contrast. But the contrast of this new iPad, while not horrible, it's also not great for such a high-end device.

I've been saying this for Years Now. Apple is so far behind the game they are just now desperate enough they had to buy Display tech from Samsung, they are not innovators they are customers. The Color Gamut and saturation leave a lot to and are lacking. It's just still the best tablet and the 9.7" Pro is far better than the OG 12.9" Pro which did even meet Dcip3 standards.

 

[jamesrick80]

Hmm you should see the tab S3 display. It's amazing. 120 HZ does not affect display quality and OLED is far superior especially the OLED on the tab S3 that has a wide color gamut and full 100% DCI P3 support as well as HDR that actually works.

 

[Sephrioth]

Hmm you should see the tab S3 display. It's amazing. 120 HZ does not affect display quality and OLED is far superior especially the OLED on the tab S3 that has a wide color gamut and full 100% DCI P3 support as well as HDR that actually works.

I have the small Tab S2 OLED.

 

[lambertjohn]

I thought the Ipad Pro 12.9 Inch (2017) display had a high color gamut and better contrast. I was expecting an extremely good display. It's ok, but not great. Are there different manufacturers of the panels? LG? Samsung? It seems to be a panel lottery again. Maybe there are Ipad pro's 12.7" 2017 with really good panels?

My Other Displays I own many high-quality displays/monitors: 2 Professional 4K Samsung LCD wide gamut (UD970), a well calibrated LG OLED TV (2016), Samsung OLED Tablet (2016) and an LG 4K Wide gamut display. I also have an old Ipad 3. I calibrate my displays with an i1 Display pro Colorimeter. I work as a graphic designer/3d artist.

Ipad 2017 12.9: Color Saturation: The Apple display is nowhere near the quality that I was expecting based on all the reviews. Colors seem just marginally more saturated than my old Ipad 3 and contrast about the same (or maybe marginally better). All my other displays have vastly better color reproduction and saturation. I know some will argue that too saturated colors are wrong, but I still think the Ipad 12.9 2017 model has bland color reproduction at best.

Ipad 2017 12.9: Slight Yellow Tint: The Ipad Pro also has a slight yellow tint compared to my other monitors and old Ipad. Turning on Automatic tone adjustment makes this far worse. (I turned all options off)

Ipad 2017 12.9: Gamma The Gamma/Black levels/Contrast of the Ipad 2017 model seems a bit low. I was expecting very high contrast (at least as good as my LCD Samsung displays and LG LCD Monitor). Of course, OLED displays will always have better contrast. But the contrast of this new iPad, while not horrible, it's also not great for such a high-end device.

This may all be true, but most of us are not displayophiles like you. I'm just an average Joe, using my iPad Pro to beat around in life. For every guy like you, there's a hundred of us who think the display is just fine, even outstanding. We turn it on, we peck, we search, we read, we buy stuff, we Facebook, we text people, we haul it to the bathroom and research the newest fad in toilet paper while we're saying goodbye to yesterday's lunch, then we turn it off and go do something else in life...maybe run a marathon! So although your opinion is 100% valid, guys like me don't see it. I think the iPad Pro's screen is fabulous--the Pro 9.7, the 10.5 and the 12.9. All amazing! I'm guessing Apple thinks that too; they're selling millions of them, I'm sure. And don't get me started on their stock price. I'm kicking myself for not buying more shares than I did back when it was $95 a share.

 

[Sephrioth]

I just want to know if there are really good panels out there. I want to know if I should return it. Is there someone that is very critical on displays and has an ipad 12.9 2017 that has an awesome screen compared to other great displays?

 

[sparksd]

I have the small Tab S2 OLED.

I also have the 8" Tab S2 and much prefer its display over my Air 2.

 

[Booji]

I could not find any recent reports, but at least last year's 9.7 Pro was pretty darned good...

https://www.macworld.com/article/30...-visually-indistinguishable-from-perfect.html

 

[sparksd]

I could not find any recent reports, but at least last year's 9.7 Pro was pretty darned good...

https://www.macworld.com/article/30...-visually-indistinguishable-from-perfect.html

Interesting article - thanks for the reference. It gives context for my feelings on the Air 2 (I also have an S7 Edge and had a Note 4, the color accuracy "winner" in the article that writer links to).

 

[Sephrioth]

I think the lacking contrast/gamma bothers me more than the slight yellow cast. It just looks a bit washed out. Maybe it's a great display if you are used to TN laptop displays. Compared to low-quality screens the contrast is great of course. Compared to high-quality LCD-IPS displays it is not that great. Are there some photos of the 12.7 model compared to other displays?

 

[thunng8]

I think the lacking contrast/gamma bothers me more than the slight yellow cast. It just looks a bit washed out. Maybe it's a great display if you are used to TN laptop displays. Compared to low-quality screens the contrast is great of course. Compared to high-quality LCD-IPS displays it is not that great. Are there some photos of the 12.7 model compared to other displays?

That is unfair statement on the iPad Pro display. The 2016 and onwards iPad Pro are the most colour accurate mobile displays ever made and supports standard and wide gamut (the 2016 model's Delta E in for sRGB images is almost zero - same for DCI-P3 gamut images - haven't seen the 2017 model's result but I doubt it is worse)

IOS respects the colour tagging of the image you are viewing. For example if the image is sRGB, it will display it in the sRGB colour space - which can look dull. You will need to go to an image editor and bump up the saturation sliders if you want an oversaturated image.

Also your comparison against the ipad3 display likely shows you are not that aware of colour space mappings. The image you are viewing is most likley a sRGB mapped image - in that case the images should look very similar on the ipad3 and ipad pro - the ipad3 is also very accurate in the srGB colour space.

look at this article clearly explaining how the extra gamut in the ipad pro is used: http://blog.iconfactory.com/2016/04/looking-at-the-future/

So if you want a display that ignores colour space tagging and then oversaturates everything - Apple devices are not for you. Samsung is notorious for this. Their OLED displays are great (high gamut, infinite contrast - but lower brightness and higher reflectance), but their software is not colour managed - the default mode to to over-saturate everything to create more 'pop' for the consumer.

 

[Sephrioth]

That may be the case, but

IOS respects the colour tagging of the image you are viewing. For example if the image is sRGB, it will display it in the sRGB colour space - which can look dull. You will need to go to an image editor and bump up the saturation sliders if you want an oversaturated image.

Ok, that may be the case for saturation but I have seen a lot of variation between Ipad display panels of the same model. Some more yellow than others. Also, gamma/contrast could be better. I also have the experience with many IPS computer monitors that some have green shift, or red shift for the same model. Variation between panels is common. Many Ipad 3 models had yellow biased screens at introduction. I finally got a good one after trying 5.

An option to overwrite the RGB space would be nice though. I like a bit more saturation in my images. Correct does not always mean more pleasing since it's a subjective experience. There are lots of professionals who swear by sRGB muted (correct) tones, and many people but also professionals that like more vibrant images. On older wide gamut monitors skin tones would look incorrect/orange, but now most skin tones and other colors look quite natural even with some more saturation.

Are all panels in the ipad 12.9 inch Samsung displays?

 

[thunng8]

That may be the case, but


Ok, that may be the case for saturation but I have seen a lot of variation between Ipad display panels of the same model. Some more yellow than others. Also, gamma/contrast could be better. I also have the experience with many IPS computer monitors that some have green shift, or red shift for the same model. Variation between panels is common. Many Ipad 3 models had yellow biased screens at introduction. I finally got a good one after trying 5.

An option to overwrite the RGB space would be nice though. I like a bit more saturation in my images. Correct does not always mean more pleasing since it's a subjective experience. There are lots of professionals who swear by sRGB muted (correct) tones, and many people but also professionals that like more vibrant images. On older wide gamut monitors skin tones would look incorrect/orange, but now most skin tones and other colors look quite natural even with some more saturation.

Are all panels in the ipad 12.9 inch Samsung displays?

You can have variation in any panel, not just iPads. I've had good experiences with mine recently but the ipad4 I went through 2.

Also I don't think you understand colour space well at all. You cannot just override sRGB. if the image was taken with sRGB, it was taken with those colours. You cannot invent new colour when it wasn't shot with those colours. You can shift all the colours to make them more saturated - then all of the colours in the image will be inaccurate.

For example if an image was taken with a camera capable of dci-p3 or any other high gamut colour space it would show that tonal range of the image from dull to saturated - ie real life colours - that is why high gamut was invented in the first place - not just to over saturate everything - and yes in a non colour managed operating systems like Windows ( most windows applications are not colour managed including internet explorer / edge and chrome. Photoshop is colour managed) and Android tend to be well over saturate all images.

Edit: And the most important reason for colour accuracy in a display for a professional is this scenario. You take an image and then edit in your non colour managed application. It looks like it has the right amount of colour pop that you require. You send it out to a client and the client sees a dull image. Or send it to be printed and the print comes out dull and not like anything you see on the screen.

If you used an accurate display you would see that the image is lacking and would change colour balance of the image and save it. The print would come out as you see it on the screen.

 

[Jensend]

Dispalymate hasn't tested the newest iPad Pros, but in their test of the original iPad Pro 12.9”, they got a contrast ratio of 1631:1, which is very high for an IPS LCD. A review of the UD970 I found put its contrast ratio at 739:1. These numbers do vary from unit to unit, of course.

Colors should look the same as the iPad 3 for most content, as most content is made for sRGB, and the iPad 3 gamut is very close to sRGB.

The extremely low screen reflectance can lead to better contrast ratios than many OLED displays in brightly lit environments.

I tried the latest Samsung OLED phone and tablet at the store recently, and what bothered me about them was the color shift with viewing angle. Just a slight tilt of the screen made white look much more blue.

 

[Booji]

Dispalymate hasn't tested the newest iPad Pros, but in their test of the original iPad Pro 12.9”, they got a contrast ratio of 1631:1, which is very high for an IPS LCD. A review of the UD970 I found put its contrast ratio at 739:1. These numbers do vary from unit to unit, of course.

Colors should look the same as the iPad 3 for most content, as most content is made for sRGB, and the iPad 3 gamut is very close to sRGB.

The extremely low screen reflectance can lead to better contrast ratios than many OLED displays in brightly lit environments.

I tried the latest Samsung OLED phone and tablet at the store recently, and what bothered me about them was the color shift with viewing angle. Just a slight tilt of the screen made white look much more blue.

I'm no display expert, but when I look at the Samsung displays they look so over saturated and artificial. Pretty yes , but not real. Is it just me because I'm used to Apple displays?

 

[sorcery]

I'm no display expert, but when I look at the Samsung displays they look so over saturated and artificial. Pretty yes , but not real. Is it just me because I'm used to Apple displays?

No idea but I feel the same way. But then again I was more than happy with the iPad 1 display...

 

[Jensend]

I'm no display expert, but when I look at the Samsung displays they look so over saturated and artificial. Pretty yes , but not real. Is it just me because I'm used to Apple displays?

You can set them to a mode that has correct saturation.

 

[aevan]

You can set them to a mode that has correct saturation.

What’s that mode? “Off”?

 

[sparksd]

What’s that mode? “Off”?

There are multiple modes with varying levels.

 

[Sephrioth]

It is mainly the yellow display that is bothering me. Contrast is quite good actually, after having tested the Ipad some more. But colors are a bit dulled due to the slight yellow color of the display. But it seems a problem with almost every generation of Ipads. Some are more yellow and others cooler. I will be returning mine and hope that a new batch will be better. I tried a 12.9 2017 64GB WIFI version and it was a bit worse than my current one. Especially at angles, the display was very yellow.

This shows how yellow the display of the 2017 12.9 model is compared to the 2015 model. He seems to have true tone OFF for the entire review. He also shows that toggling truetone on or off does not remove the warmer tone of the display.

 

[Jensend]

I upgraded from an iPad 3. My Pro 10.5” is very similar in color temperature. Maybe a touch cooler. (True tone off) I usually keep true tone on, though.

It's too bad that there can be so much variability in screen temperature from unit to unit.

 

[Sephrioth]

In the video at 4.55 he toggles truetone, but this does not remove the yellow tint.:

--https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=298&v=mIQ5XlsIdVw

 

[aevan]

There are multiple modes with varying levels.

Clarification: what I wrote was sarcasm intended to explain how Samsung wouldn't know natural colors if their lives depended on it. Yes I've seen the multiple modes.

 

[Siouxz]

It is mainly the yellow display that is bothering me. Contrast is quite good actually, after having tested the Ipad some more. But colors are a bit dulled due to the slight yellow color of the display. But it seems a problem with almost every generation of Ipads. Some are more yellow and others cooler. I will be returning mine and hope that a new batch will be better. I tried a 12.9 2017 64GB WIFI version and it was a bit worse than my current one. Especially at angles, the display was very yellow.

This shows how yellow the display of the 2017 12.9 model is compared to the 2015 model. He seems to have true tone OFF for the entire review. He also shows that toggling truetone on or off does not remove the warmer tone of the display.

My 2d gen. IPad pro has a yellowishnscreen.The images I have takr

It is mainly the yellow display that is bothering me. Contrast is quite good actually, after having tested the Ipad some more. But colors are a bit dulled due to the slight yellow color of the display. But it seems a problem with almost every generation of Ipads. Some are more yellow and others cooler. I will be returning mine and hope that a new batch will be better. I tried a 12.9 2017 64GB WIFI version and it was a bit worse than my current one. Especially at angles, the display was very yellow.

This shows how yellow the display of the 2017 12.9 model is compared to the 2015 model. He seems to have true tone OFF for the entire review. He also shows that toggling truetone on or off does not remove the warmer tone of the display.

It is mainly the yellow display that is bothering me. Contrast is quite good actually, after having tested the Ipad some more. But colors are a bit dulled due to the slight yellow color of the display. But it seems a problem with almost every generation of Ipads. Some are more yellow and others cooler. I will be returning mine and hope that a new batch will be better. I tried a 12.9 2017 64GB WIFI version and it was a bit worse than my current one. Especially at angles, the display was very yellow.

This shows how yellow the display of the 2017 12.9 model is compared to the 2015 model. He seems to have true tone OFF for the entire review. He also shows that toggling truetone on or off does not remove the warmer tone of the display.

I just want to know if there are really good panels out there. I want to know if I should return it. Is there someone that is very critical on displays and has an ipad 12.9 2017 that has an awesome screen compared to other great displays?

In the video at 4.55 he toggles truetone, but this does not remove the yellow tint.:

--https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=298&v=mIQ5XlsIdVw

[doublepost=1519802372][/doublepost]I received a 2d gen. IPad pro.I am a plein air artist, i.e. someone who paints outdoors so an accurate color gamut is critical to me.I shot 70 outdoor landscape images in bright daylight with the pro.The images have a yellowish or brownish tinge.They look horrible.True Tone is turned off.For my purposes, the device is totally unacceptable.I will not be able to use it as a painting tool.The unit is valueless to me, a $1000. paperweight.