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iPad Pro 2021 12.9 Screen Shadow

Faelan

Faelan

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2014
252
308
The shadow is definitely there on the 12.9" I received today. It goes around all the edges and is so uniform that it feels like a design limitation rather than a display flaw. In short, playing the lottery is going to be futile. You either live with it or skip it.

Personally I think I’ll be able to live with it. I’m usually really picky about my displays, but because it’s so uniform, it feels more like it’s just part of the bezel (I suspect the effect will look absolutely terrible on a white bezel though). If it was just down one edge, it would drive me crazy and my eyes would keep wandering there. I’ve returned several products in the past because of that.

Again, because it’s so uniform, it feels more like some sort of image effect than a flaw. Combined with true tone and the rounded corners, it has a nice relaxing effect on my eyes compared to the display on my 1st gen 2015 12.9". In all other aspects, the display is just miles ahead of my old 2015. It’s better in every aspect and although I can see some blooming if I provoke it or really look hard for it. I haven’t really noticed it during normal use (running dark mode) at this point. I’m really liking it so far and it looks way more accurate than my *cough* OLED *cough* iPhone 12 Pro Max.
 
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J

jukeboxaddict

macrumors member
Mar 2, 2014
88
86
Faelan said:
The shadow is definitely there on the 12.9" I received today. It goes around all the edges and is so uniform that it feels like a design limitation rather than a display flaw. In short, playing the lottery is going to be futile. You either live with it or skip it.

Personally I think I’ll be able to live with it. I’m usually really picky about my displays, but because it’s so uniform, it feels more like it’s just part of the bezel (I suspect the effect will look absolutely terrible on a white bezel though). If it was just down one edge, it would drive me crazy and my eyes would keep wandering there. I’ve returned several products in the past because of that.

Again, because it’s so uniform, it feels more like some sort of image effect than a flaw. Combined with true tone and the rounded corners, it has a nice relaxing effect on my eyes compared to the display on my 1st gen 2015 12.9". In all other aspects, the display is just miles ahead of my old 2015. It’s better in every aspect and although I can see some blooming if I provoke it or really look hard for it. I haven’t really noticed it during normal use (running dark mode) at this point. I’m really liking it so far and it looks way more accurate than my *cough* OLED *cough* iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Click to expand...

somehow this is a reassuring post for me. I also tend to be someone who fixates on minor visual issues around the screen. But maybe the uniformity will cancel it out
 
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mi7chy

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,626
11,298
krspkbl said:
First blooming and now shadow edges? lol. Why did Apple not go OLED? the 12.9” display is awful.
Click to expand...

Or, at least use quality LCD panels without border shadow and with lower elevated black. My Microsoft Surface Pro X SQ2 isn't OLED but elevated black is noticeably lower sitting beside MBA M1 and there's no border shadow (I'll post a photo after it charges). I'd take that any day over mini-LED with blooming which IMHO is worse than border shadow.
 
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J

jukeboxaddict

macrumors member
Mar 2, 2014
88
86
As far as blooming goes, folks, give Apple a software update or two. It’s their first Mini LED display, and they can adjust things by tinkering with the local dimming algorithms. That can almost certainly be improved. The darker line around the edges, not so much.
 
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M

mrklaw

macrumors 68030
Jan 29, 2008
2,749
1,026
jukeboxaddict said:
As far as blooming goes, folks, give Apple a software update or two. It’s their first Mini LED display, and they can adjust things by tinkering with the local dimming algorithms. That can almost certainly be improved. The darker line around the edges, not so much.
Click to expand...

depends if the edge LEDs go right to the edge or not. I guess ideally they'd go under the bezel a little so the uniformity is better, but they probably don't.
 
AutomaticApple

AutomaticApple

Suspended
Nov 28, 2018
7,401
3,378
Massachusetts
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jimmy_uk

jimmy_uk

macrumors 68020
Oct 19, 2015
2,478
3,306
UK
D

Digitalguy

macrumors 601
Apr 15, 2019
4,655
4,492
jukeboxaddict said:
As far as blooming goes, folks, give Apple a software update or two. It’s their first Mini LED display, and they can adjust things by tinkering with the local dimming algorithms. That can almost certainly be improved. The darker line around the edges, not so much.
Click to expand...
Never buy hardware with the expectation its issues will be corrected in software... if they can do something with software all the better, but if they can't, and this is a deal-breaker for some, they'd better return the device while they can...
 
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S

skidu

macrumors regular
Sep 22, 2014
173
1,146
Honestly, way overblown issue - if you hadn't seen it mentioned online you wouldn't even notice it. I've been playing around with my 12.9 since this morning, only checked MR now and though " oh yeah, there's a slight shadow" - doesn't effect the main viewing experience at all.
 
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MrGimper

MrGimper

macrumors G3
Original poster
Sep 22, 2012
9,029
12,942
Andover, UK
skidu said:
Honestly, way overblown issue - if you hadn't seen it mentioned online you wouldn't even notice it. I've been playing around with my 12.9 since this morning, only checked MR now and though " oh yeah, there's a slight shadow" - doesn't effect the main viewing experience at all.
Click to expand...

I agree, I’d noticed it straight away on the setup screens, and when someone else mentioned it too I googled and found the Reddit. before I did that I wasn’t aware it was a thing.
 
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Tsepz

Tsepz

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2013
4,888
4,698
Johannesburg, South Africa
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaapple said:
One of my friends got this issue on his 12.9 IPP. Huge glowing around the line. I'm not sure is this the picture quality or the ipp issues. Can anyone confirm this?
View attachment 1778518
Click to expand...
That is truly horrible. This is always the issue with the 1st batch of gen 1 devices, they come with a few problems, I will happily keep my 2020 iPP and make the jump to M series chips next year with the gen 2 MiniLED when Apple have figured this out and puts it into the 11inch form.

Dieter from The Verge was the first YouTuber I saw mentioning this in the first batch of reviews that came out this week, a lot of YouTubers either overlooked this or glossed over it, Dieter actually made it known that there is something off.

If I do end up getting a 2021 iPP when iPad OS 15 arrives, then I’ll just opt for the 2021 11”.

Hopefully a software update can reduce it somewhat. No display will ever be perfect I guess, but this looks like something Apple will need to sort out, if not now then in the 2022 iPP.
 
Last edited:
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S

skidu

macrumors regular
Sep 22, 2014
173
1,146
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaapple said:
One of my friends got this issue on his 12.9 IPP. Huge glowing around the line. I'm not sure is this the picture quality or the ipp issues. Can anyone confirm this?
View attachment 1778518
Click to expand...

Just tested this out, whilst I agree there is definitely blooming in this worst case scenario the image captured above is a result of 'night mode' or long exposure being activated - exaggerating the issue. If it looked that bad irl, I would have returned it immediately.
 
MrGimper

MrGimper

macrumors G3
Original poster
Sep 22, 2012
9,029
12,942
Andover, UK
Tsepz said:
That is truly horrible. This is always the issue with the 1st batch of gen 1 devices, they come with a few problems, I will happily keep my 2020 iPP and make the jump to M series chips next year with the gen 2 MiniLED when Apple have figured this out and puts it into the 11inch form.

Dieter from The Verge was the first YouTuber I saw mentioning this in the first batch of reviews that came out this week, a lot of YouTubers either overlooked this or glossed over it, Dieter actually made it known that there is something off.

If I do end up getting a 2021 iPP when iPad OS 15 arrives, then I’ll just opt for the 2021 11”.

Hopefully a software update can reduce it somewhat. No display will ever be perfect I guess, but this looks like something Apple will need to sort out, if not now then in the 2022 iPP.
Click to expand...
Ah, the old ‘first batch’ nugget ??
 
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D

doboy

macrumors 68040
Jul 6, 2007
3,776
2,949
TheRealAlex said:
Coined a phrase #ShadowGate

I feel accomplished.

that being said this is a deal breaker for me. I’ve seen other Youtubers notice this.
Click to expand...
This is a deal breaker for you cause you want to next gen anyways. Don't blame it on this. Lol
 
O

ofarlig

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2015
931
1,148
Sweden
Tsepz said:
That is truly horrible. This is always the issue with the 1st batch of gen 1 devices, they come with a few problems, I will happily keep my 2020 iPP and make the jump to M series chips next year with the gen 2 MiniLED when Apple have figured this out and puts it into the 11inch form.

Dieter from The Verge was the first YouTuber I saw mentioning this in the first batch of reviews that came out this week, a lot of YouTubers either overlooked this or glossed over it, Dieter actually made it known that there is something off.

If I do end up getting a 2021 iPP when iPad OS 15 arrives, then I’ll just opt for the 2021 11”.

Hopefully a software update can reduce it somewhat. No display will ever be perfect I guess, but this looks like something Apple will need to sort out, if not now then in the 2022 iPP.
Click to expand...

I mean I still think the screen is much nicer than the 2020 screen even if theres a slight shadow in some situations, so I will be able to enjoy the gen 1 Mini-LED for a year until the next gen comes out.
 
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