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so

  • yes

    Votes: 26 11.9%
  • no

    Votes: 168 77.1%
  • not sure

    Votes: 16 7.3%
  • will try a swap then if same, yes

    Votes: 4 1.8%
  • will try a swap then if same, no

    Votes: 4 1.8%

  • Total voters
    218

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,269
The bright screen with the lantern like lights underneath are great for video, but when used for reading the web, rss and kindle…it’s a bit much especially at night.

Have you tried enabling Setting - Accessibility - Display - Reduce White Point?
 

cardfan

macrumors 601
Mar 23, 2012
4,431
5,627
The bright screen with the lantern like lights underneath are great for video, but when used for reading the web, rss and kindle…it’s a bit much especially at night.

Yep. Returning mine too. Overall experience is worse with added weight. Vast majority of iPad use is same on this iPad as 2018 one. Don’t really watch movies on an iPad.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
poll time

I've not paid too much attention to this latest "-gate" and I'm purposely avoiding it. Truth be told, I'm loving this new iPad and its so much better then my older 10.5 iPad Pro, nearly in every way. Since I'm content with what I have, I see no value in searching for problems or pixel peeing to an extent I'm getting upset about some perceived issue.

Given what little i've read it seems likely that a software fix to manage those lighting zones will reduce or remove the issue as well
 

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Original poster
Oct 1, 2007
16,127
17,043
I've not paid too much attention to this latest "-gate" and I'm purposely avoiding it. Truth be told, I'm loving this new iPad and its so much better then my older 10.5 iPad Pro, nearly in every way. Since I'm content with what I have, I see no value in searching for problems or pixel peeing to an extent I'm getting upset about some perceived issue.

Given what little i've read it seems likely that a software fix to manage those lighting zones will reduce or remove the issue as well

I can never argue with ignorance being bliss for screens haha.

envious of people that can maintain that mentality without hitting any road blocks. Truly.

I meant to look at the 12.9 2021’s when I traded in my 2017 12.9 at Apple Store today... But kinda forgot

I think it’s something that would drive me nuts, personally, but fortunately the 2021 12.9 wasn’t really a big consideration for me this year anyways (mostly because of price - I hit a psychological wall for anything over around $800, still, no matter the intended time of use or usage but I understand why other’s dont)
 
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MJBCA

macrumors member
Jan 23, 2020
30
35
On this subject, I’m gobsmacked that no one seems to bring up the fact that even with the drawbacks of the display, this new miniLED has the milky-est, most gentle on the eyes white I’ve ever seen on a screen.
Something that bothers me on the OLED is how the white tone seems harsh. Whereas, this new iPad display technology offers the smoothest and easiest-on-the-eyes white compres to regular LCD/LED as well as OLED.
For your information, I have last years iPad Pro 12.9 and an iPhone 11 Pro Max.
 
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maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
I can never argue with ignorance being bliss for screens haha.
You search hard and long enough, you find that every product has their own imperfections. The iPad is working as expected, and not only meeting my expectations but exceeding them. Why obsess over something that is not an actual defect.

I don't think its ignorance is bliss as much as being content with my purchase and knowing its working as expected ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Original poster
Oct 1, 2007
16,127
17,043
You search hard and enough, you find that every product has their own imperfections. The iPad is working as expected, and not only meeting my expectations but exceeding them. Why obsess over something that is not an actual defect.

I don't think its ignorance is bliss as much as being content with my purchase and knowing its working as expected ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

all screens have their own unique qualities just a matter of which you’re willing to put up with I suppose

I hate multi tint displays ie half green half yellow or really uneven brightness

I have come to like and even prefer a warm display vs. sterile cold, but there is a difference between warm and pee yellow that destroys contrast and brightness

some displays struggle to display crisp text too.. but to the untrained eye its all the same

etc etc
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,269
I think it’s something that would drive me nuts, personally, but fortunately the 2021 12.9 wasn’t really a big consideration for me this year anyways (mostly because of price - I hit a psychological wall for anything over around $800, still, no matter the intended time of use or usage but I understand why other’s dont)

Before getting my first iPad, I had already tried a couple of Windows UMPCs/convertibles ($800-1500) which overheated quickly, were very heavy and had poor battery life. Meanwhile, I found the iPad 2 to be an absolute delight for reading manga that I was willing to and was used to paying the Apple storage tax even in the early days. I have a 2TB manga collection and 64GB just wasn't enough even for only my favorites.

2011: iPad 2 64GB WiFi $699 (~$770 with tax)
2012: iPad 3 64GB LTE $829 (~$915 with tax) - for retina
2013: iPad 4 128GB LTE $929 (~$1025 with tax) - for storage

This was back when iOS was even more limited compared to what we have now. No share sheet, no way to attach non-picture files to emails, very poor support/rendering for most websites, etc. I still needed to use the laptop/desktop for most tasks including web browsing and the iPad was almost purely ebook and manga reader.

I did try Android/Windows again circa 2013-15 but that was just a major waste of funds. After that failed experiment, I was willing to just pay the Apple tax again.
 
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thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Original poster
Oct 1, 2007
16,127
17,043
Before getting my first iPad, I had already tried a couple of Windows UMPCs/convertibles ($800-1500) which overheated quickly, were very heavy and had poor battery life. Meanwhile, I found the iPad 2 to be an absolute delight for reading manga that I was willing to and was used to paying the Apple storage tax even in the early days. I have a 2TB manga collection and 64GB just wasn't enough even for only my favorites.

2011: iPad 2 64GB WiFi $699 (~$770 with tax)
2012: iPad 3 64GB LTE $829 (~$915 with tax) - for retina
2013: iPad 4 128GB LTE $929 (~$1025 with tax) - for storage

This was back when iOS was even more limited compared to what we have now. No share sheet, no way to attach non-picture files to emails, very poor support/rendering for most websites, etc. I still needed to use the laptop/desktop for most tasks including web browsing and the iPad was almost purely ebook and manga reader.

I did try Android/Windows again circa 2013-15 but that was just a major waste of funds. After that failed experiment, I was willing to just pay the Apple tax again.

ah see I've been base storage iPad user, since day 1. Never cellular ever. Even in the 16gb days lol. My storage needs for tablets is nothing. But I'm still happy to move up from base 64gb on 2017 12.9 to base 128 on 2021 11. I'll take it.

iPhone is a different story, but usually then I'm one tier above the base historically / now at the base since 12 pro is 128gb.

If you need it , you need it.

Btw, iPad 2 was such a joy. I still remember what a quantum leap that was from iPad 1, in form + with that dual core A5.
 
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tazdevl

macrumors regular
Jul 6, 2010
231
145
So returned the 2021 12.9 and picked up a 2021 1TB Cellular 11 today. Also have the MK for both and spent a few comparing… typing, looking at the same screens, etc… 12.9 screen a bit brighter, whites whiter, darker colors a bit deeper than the 11. 11 seemed a bit warmer color. 12.9 MK a bit easier to type on than the 11, which required a bit of adjustment then felt fine. Funnily after being on the 12.9 for ~1 week, the 11 felt tiny and looked like it side by side, despite being decently sized. However, 12.9 I 2 handed and propped more than I like and had to focus holding it 1 handed, whereas the 11 you just don’t pay attention holding it.

I know it’s been talked about before, but IMO if Apple made a 12” Pro that came in at 1.25 lbs, I think that’s the sweet spot between portability and utility.
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,269
ah see I've been base storage iPad user, since day 1. Never cellular ever. Even in the 16gb days lol. My storage needs for tablets is nothing. But I'm still happy to move up from base 64gb on 2017 12.9 to base 128 on 2021 11. I'll take it.

iPhone is a different story, but usually then I'm one tier above the base historically / now at the base since 12 pro is 128gb.

If you need it , you need it.

iPhone, I don’t need much storage. My biggest space hog is comics and those aren’t exactly easy to read even on an iPhone 12 Pro Max display.
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,269
Even at 40%, the screen is insanely bright. And I don't see any serious blooming. I mean if you look really closely around white text on a black background, you can see ever the faintest bit of glow. My vote is "overblown issue".

I think it might be partly software, too.

I tested Avengers: Endgame on Infuse, Disney+ and the Apple TV app. The FIVE YEARS LATER caption had obvious blooming on both Infuse and Disney+ just like some of the pictures that have been posted. The Apple TV version looked great. No blooming at all.
 

Hallstar

macrumors 6502
Oct 13, 2011
338
216
Eye strain - is the flickering affecting you?

I'm sensitive to the OLED iphones due to the PWM - I'm starting to see some complaints the Mini LED iPad is causing eye issues because it does flicker.

It’s not just me then?! I felt that the screen seemed to flicker or pulsate, which I assumed was the local dimming zones and my eyes struggled to focus on the area.

It was key reason for my returning my M1 and keeping my Gen 4
 
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NickYanakiev

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2016
427
296
Even at 40%, the screen is insanely bright. And I don't see any serious blooming. I mean if you look really closely around white text on a black background, you can see ever the faintest bit of glow. My vote is "overblown issue".
Agreed. I spent a lot of time looking for problems but even after all the videos and horrible screenshots I am not bothered at all.

I don't get the lines near the edge of the screen. Kindle app is perfectly fine even in complete darkness.

Not to mention that the screen is insanely bright and anything more than 50% is too much for me. I got both the 11" and the 12.9" and keeping both.
 
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return2sendai

Suspended
Oct 22, 2018
1,200
917
I see bloom in a couple of Apps - Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. It's mainly on the overlay controls though which I don't normally see, so I am learning to accept that part, but whenever there is lower-quality streaming video sometimes I see black blobs in the shadowing moving around with the scene which is hard to deal with. I ended up switching to the amazon website for now to stream videos and that works great with the built-in Safari player.

I'm starting to think the angle of the screen relative to you can exaggerate the bloom effect. All other apps seem fine so far, including the Kindle app in night mode thankfully.

This still feels like something that could be software fixed to reduce the "area of bloom", with how Apple went on about the m1 coordinating the two LCD panel layers. I don't really mind that it is there, just that the video progress bar has 1/2 an inch of bloom around it...
One solution. Delete Disney+
 
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slplss

macrumors 6502a
Nov 2, 2011
946
1,010
EU
There’s little denying that blooming between lit zones (1% brightness +) and true black zones (LEDs off) exists. This is only visible in complete darkness and low brightness where the lit zones are surrounded by true blacks. I can see it in some captions and UI elements in Youtube/Notes - again in complete darkness. Strangely, I can’t see blooming in iBooks (1% brightness, Dark Mode, same conditions). Maybe the whole screen is lit to 1%? Or the texts “blooms” to my eyes enough to hide the zones?

Increase the brightness (in Notes with Dark Mode, for example) and the zones become less visible, but then blooming caused by your eyes comes into play - expect no SW update for your sockets. IMO software could only fix it by lowering the brightness of the brightly lit zones against true black zones or actually turning true black zones on (in some scenarios/apps). Also, many UI elements (like YouTube seek bar) may have fancy textures/shadow effect around them (for the lack of better words), so the contrast between lit/unlit zones in higher brightness becomes larger and more apparent.

It’s been over a week and I‘m very satisfied with the display - no issues during day or reading in complete darkness. HDR is a treat - when you find it. When watching high contrasts content at night most of the blooming is as per usual caused by my eyes. No question the tech can be improved but this iPad will still look good and run well 5+ years on, as it has always been the case.
 

loybond

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2010
856
631
The True North, Strong and Free
Meh, we've seen this in TVs ever since FALD has existed. The iPad has far less blooming than most TVs with local dimming.

Realistically, we're seeing improvements that I didn't think we'd see in this amount - in contrast, black level etc. You can complain about some weird scenario where something's not perfect, but you can do that with just about any technology or any display. Nothing is actually perfect lol.
 
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sparksd

macrumors G4
Jun 7, 2015
10,013
34,356
Seattle WA
Keeping the 12.9. Blooming for me is only an issue under conditions I don't care about and even then - for me - the effect is slight. I just really don't see edge shadow.
 

Sparxxx

macrumors 6502
Jul 29, 2009
345
156
Yes, I did return mine as the blooming was horrible. Apple did a poor job implementing MiniLEd and I'm sure it's a software issue. They light up way to much than it should, the zones are to big and you can cleary see the rectangular shape of the zones (pictures of blooming that you see posted here arenot exagerated at all).

I have other MiniLed Screens (TLC and Samsung) and there is almost no blooming on them (used the same scene to compare).
Watching dark scenes in a dark environment (as movies should be watched) is almost imposbile if you value picture quality.
Hate to say it but the Ipad Pro 12.9 has the worst MiniLed display out there and Apple needs to fix it asap.
It would have been my dream devices as it's exaclty what I needed but the the blooming is way to much.
 

mdhaus72

macrumors regular
Dec 29, 2018
222
299
Yes, I did return mine as the blooming was horrible. Apple did a poor job implementing MiniLEd and I'm sure it's a software issue. They light up way to much than it should, the zones are to big and you can cleary see the rectangular shape of the zones (pictures of blooming that you see posted here arenot exagerated at all).

I have other MiniLed Screens (TLC and Samsung) and there is almost no blooming on them (used the same scene to compare).
Watching dark scenes in a dark environment (as movies should be watched) is almost imposbile if you value picture quality.
Hate to say it but the Ipad Pro 12.9 has the worst MiniLed display out there and Apple needs to fix it asap.
It would have been my dream devices as it's exaclty what I needed but the the blooming is way to much.
Wow...there is A LOT of melodrama in that post! LOL....

Apple did not do a "poor job implementing MiniLED"....They did a fine job overall. The screen is truly the best you can get on a device of that size. What's hilarious to me about "huge problems" such as this is that they almost always are reliant on the consumer doing something that they just aren't normally going to do a whole lot. And the effect that happens isn't ever the end-of-the-world, either.

For example, how many times are you honestly going to want to take notes on a black screen in a totally blacked-out room? Come on.

And when you set an alarm - even if it's in the dark - does it really matter that much if there is a slight halo for the 15-30 seconds that it takes for you to set it? *eyeroll*

Most, if not all, of the photos and videos that are being used to show the blooming are inherent exaggerations of what is truly happening, since a photo and video capture in the dark is not nearly as precise as what the human eye can see. In other words, a camera will perceive blooming as being worse because its "vision" is less accurate, similar to a person who is near or farsighted compared to a person with 20/20 vision. If you have to go to extra lengths to recreate a problem, then guess what - Most of the time, it isn't a huge problem!

This statement is also quite amusing: "Watching dark scenes in a dark environment (as movies should be watched) is almost imposbile if you value picture quality." LOL...No, it is not "impossible if you value picture quality." It's totally fine and almost all of the time, you won't even see any effect because of the movement of the video and the transitions.

Every time a device with new technology rolls out, there is a sub-group of people who expect everything on it to work exactly as they want it to - no questions asked. Every pixel has to be 100% perfect, the design has to be 100% flawless and any tech issue at all - even if they can be tweaked by a software update - is instant grounds for them to rage and go completely overboard.

The issue overall is vastly blown out of proportion and Apple clearly has an ability to address it at least in part through upcoming software updates. In the meantime, people need to take a chill-pill, relax and enjoy the new tech for what it DOES offer...an amazing screen for an iPad and the best in its class.
 
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